


Class. 

Boole , 

Copyright N° 


COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 













































A. J. EDWARDS 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures 




Bible Lessons 
and Lectures 



By 

A. J. EDWARDS 


Press of 

MARSHALL & BRUCE CO. 
Nashville, Tenn. 



Bible Lessons and Lectures 
Copyrighted 1922 
By A. J. Edwards 



APR lb 1922 

©CUB59916 

■"■vvO 


DEDICATION. 


To my Children, whose precious Mother gave her 
life so freely, and so willingly, that they 
might live, this volume is 
affectionately dedicated 
by 

The Author. 


0 


CONTENTS 


Frontispiece Page 

Dedication 3 

Advertisement 7 

Biography 8 

Why I Wrote This Book 9 

Lesson 1 — Frontier Life 11 

Lesson 2 — Lesson a Horse Taught Me 17 

Lesson 3 — Sowing and Reaping 21 

Lesson 4 — The Teacher 25 

Lesson 5 — Woman 35 

Lesson 6 — Ah, Satan 43 

Lesson 7 — The Funniest Law 65 

Lesson 8 — The Lord Goes Trapping 71 

Lesson 9 — Greatest Missionary Lesson 77 

Lesson 10 — Woman's World-Wide Work 93 

Lesson 11 — The Greatest Male Character 99 

Lesson 12 — The Lost Lesson 121 

Lesson 13 — The Goal 131 


CONTENTS 


Page 

Lesson 14 — The Infidel vs. The Bible 135 

Lesson 15 — When the Devil Pushes 155 

Tables and Poems 166 

Lesson 16 — Sad Scenes 173 

Lesson 17 — Experience * . . . . 181 

lesson 18 — Questions and Answers 193 

Lesson 19 — Ounr Opinions 217 

Some Things We Know 235 

Appendix 


236 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Being a compilation of lectures, some of 
which were delivered many years before the 
author conceived the idea of writing them 
into a book, together with lessons of infor- 
mation, which have been acquired by the 
most diligent study, and constant prayer to 
God for help and guidance. 

A prayer has accompanied every line in 
this book, that God would permit nothing to 
be written therein that would be harmful to 
His righteous, blessed cause. 

The Author. 

BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Printed on pebble paper, neatly bound in 
full linen, 300 pages, choicest reading matter, 
may be had by addressing Bible Lessons and 
Lectures Company, Fort Worth, Texas. 

Price postpaid, $1.25 per copy. 

In lots of ten or more, $1.00 per copy. 
Postage paid. 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 


A. J. Edwards, born in Texas, 1858. Son of 
Andrew J. Edwards, born in Tenn., 1825, died 1878. 
Son of 

Victor Edwards, born in N. C. 1797, died 1869. Son 
of 

William Edwards, born in Conn. 1748, died 1799. 
Son of 

Rev. Jonathan Edwards, born in Conn. 1703, died 
1758. Son of 

Rev. Timothy Edwards, born in Conn. 1669, died 
1758. Son of 

Richard Edwards, born in Conn. 1645. Son of 
William Edwards, born in Wales, 1622. Son of 
“Clergyman” Edwards, born in the wilds of Wales 
before an English settlement was made in 
America. 


WHY I WROTE THIS BOOK 


The first desire that came to me to write a book 
was to write one in favor of infidelity. 

Why such a desire should come to me will be ap- 
parent to those who read the contents of this volume. 

But later in life, after seeing how easily I had 
been deluded and led into false impressions, and er- 
roneous ideas, there came upon me a desire to give to 
the world a correction of those wrong impressions 
that came so near undoing me. 

Just how to go about this was a puzzle to me. At 
no time in my life have I ever had an impression 
that I should go into the pulpit and labor for the 
Master in that way. But all the time there has 
been a burning desire to help those who may be 
entangled in those same woeful webs of delusion. 

I felt it to be my duty, in some way, to correct 
those errors, as far as it was in my power to do so. 

For years I worried over the matter. How could 
I do my duty to my fellow man who might be led 
astray by infidelity? 

While worrying, there came clearly to me these 
words : Write it in a book. 

At no time since that moment have I ever wavered 
in my determination to write this message. But it 
has been exceedingly difficult for me to do this piece 
of work. No mortal will ever know the obstacles 
I have had to overcome. 


Then there came, also, this thought, that no book 
of importance is read or appreciated during the life- 
time of the author ; and it would be the proper way 
to get all the manuscript together, and let the work 
appear at its own good season. But this plan did 
not give me satisfaction. Then there came to me 
the desire and the determination to WRITE IT NOW. 

The Author. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


11 


FRONTIER LIFE 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures . 

Copyrighted 1922, by the Author. 

Lesson I. 

I was born at Ft. Belknap, in Young' County, 
Texas, July 1st, 1858. So far as I have been able 
to ascertain, no child had been bom of white par- 
ents that far west in Texas, at that date. 

My father was in some way connected with 
the soldiers there and was sheriff of the county at 
that time. 

But during the Civil War we resided in Wise 
County, Texas. Now, the Indians in that section, at 
that time, were extremely troublesome. They stole 
our horses, killed some of our neighbors, and mkde 
living in that part of the state very hazardous. 

It was in that county that I attended my first 
school. It was taught in a small log house, had 
split log benches for seats. My teacher’s name 
was C. C. Leonard. I have in my possession at this 
time a letter written to me by that teacher forty 
years ago. I prize it very highly. 


12 


FRONTIER LIFE 


One morning as we were* going to that little 
school, my oldest brothers and sisters and I, we heard 
behind us a rumbling noise. Looking back, we saw a 
huge wild buffalo coming along our trail at tre- 
mendous speed. He was a magnificent animal. We 
ran quickly to one side of the path and hid in the 
bushes. He passed very near us, and seemed to 
whisper us pretty closely, but went on his way. 

That evening after school, the Indians killed one of 
our school mates; his name was Logan Higgins, a 
boy of twelve years of age. They shot five arrows 
into his body, scalped him, and threw his body into 
the bushes, where neighbors found it the next 
morning, cold and stiff in death. 

We were called upon to undergo many other har- 
rowing experiences during those early years of In- 
dian warfare and depredations. 

I might mention here, that the very first word I 
ever remember learning to spell was the word war ; 
and from that day to this, it has been war, war, war. 
War physically, war mentally, war spiritually. 
Sometimes the conqueror, sometimes the vanquished. 
And I suppose that it will be war, war, war, until 
we pass under the rod. 

I must relate this little incident. Father was 
making mblasses ; that's what we called it that day 
and time. Night came on, we were at the cooking 
vat. I was but a small lad, but was helping. Pres- 
ently we heard some one singing. What is that? in- 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


13 


quired a neighbor, who was helping us. It’s daugh- 
ter, said father, holding family prayer. She takes 
my place when Fm away. She was singing the song, 
My Jesus I Love Thee, I Know Thou Art Mine. 

That has been more than fifty years ago, but that 
song is still ringing in my ears. That sister has 
been in the grave more than forty years, but I have 
not forgotten the song. 

Sometimes, when thinking back over those peril- 
ous times, I wonder if prayer hasn’t had something 
to do with my being here today, and being permitted 
to deliver this message. 

I will mention an incident that took place in our 
camp. We were all gathered together in a fort, as 
was customary for the neighbors to do on moonlight 
nights when expecting a raid from the Indians. 
Some of the youngsters decided to have a little fun 
to relieve the monotony. So they arranged for a 
part of them to dress up like Indians and slip up to 
the camp, while the others were to remain in the 
camp, and at the proper time cry out : Indians ! The 
scheme worked alright, except one of the men, old 
man Ross, ran against a tree and peeled his head 
badly. From that time on, I have never been much 
of an advocate of pranks. 

The first time I ever remember going to church, 
I rode on a horse behind my father. What do you 
guess was on the saddle in front of him? Well, it 
was a six shooter and a flint-lock rifle. Carry guns 


14 


FRONTIER LIFE 


to church? you say. Yes, but father had a reason 
for it. And riding along with us on another animal, 
was mother with sister riding on behind her. Well, 
that was some going to church, you say. It sure 
was. 

You ask about the Sunday schools? Yes. Even 
though the country was wild and unsettled, there 
was a Sunday school. I remember quite well, though 
more than half a century has passed since then, 
having attended that Sunday school. My quarterly, 
or annually, rather, was the blue back spelling book. 
The advanced classes had the Bible. I remember 
that on Sunday mornings, especially if it should 
happen to be muddy or sloppy, that my sisters, al- 
most grown then, would take their shoes and stock- 
ings in their hands and carry them along that way, 
till they came in sight of the house, then they 
would slip them on and go on up to the Sunday 
school. 

Shoes were very scarce in this part of Texas, that 
day and time, and by managing it that way, my sis- 
ters could not only save the appearance of their 
shoes, but could save the shoes also. 

How about their beaux? you ask. Well, I think 
that must have been before beaux came in fashion. 

I think I'll have to tell you about my first love 
scrape. It happened during one of the very first 
schools I attended. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


15 


Now, I was not so very large then, believe me, 
and we had about two miles to walk to school. Our 
road went right by a neighbor's house, and they had 
one of the prettiest little girls. Oh, my, but she was 
pretty! So I claimed her. Her name was Amanda. 
She was not yet old enough to attend school. 

Now it happened that, if in that long walk to 
school I became weary or tired out, one of the 
big brothers would take me on his back and carry 
me awhile. But I didn't want Amanda to know that 
my brothers had to carry me. So, when we came 
in sight of her house, I would want to walk. But 
just then the brothers would want to carry me. 

Right when I wanted to walk the most, was when 
they wanted to carry me the most. 

A few years later, we moved away from that 
section of the country, and I never did know what 
became of Amanda. But I do sincerely trust that 
she got a husband that would not play the hypocrite 
with her, trying to make her believe he was man 
enough to walk the whole of the way wjhen he wasn't. 

Well, those frontier times have passed away. 
They were weird, dangerous, enchanting, perilous 
and fascinating, but we have them in our Lone Star 
State no more. 


16 


FRONTIER LIFE 


And the crafty, cunning, wily savage has gone his 
way. That one, whose comjmands must be obeyed, 
has spoken the words: Take therefore the talent 
from him, and give it to him which hath the ten 
talents. 

May God bless you in the care of those talents. 

I thank you. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


17 


THE LESSON A HORSE TAUGHT ME 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures. 

Copyrighted 1922, by the Author . 

Lesson II. 

I remember when a boy at home on the farm, 
that my father most always kept a bunch of horses. 
Not very many, and they were of different sizes, ages, 
and colors, mostly work horses and ponies. One of 
these horses, a good sized work horse of a dun color, 
we called “Old Pacer.” 

Now, at evening time, if the cows should happen 
to be tardy about coming in, some of us boys would 
mount old Pacer and quickly bring them into the 
fold ; or, of a Sunday evening if we kids wanted to 
take a spin, three or four of us at a time would 
mount old Pacer and away we wlould go spinning. 

I remember that, if it should be cold or snow on 
the ground, and we needed a load of wood hauled 
in, or if it should be muddy, and a load of corn or 
feed was to be hauled out of the field, father 


18 


LESSON A HORSE TAUGHT ME 


would say: Boys, you had better hitch up old Pacer 
and one of the others and do this work; it will be 
safer to work old Pacer. 

Well, we would catch old Pacer and one of the 
others, get the bridles and harness on them, and 
hitch them up to the wagon, taking care that all the 
lines were fastened. Everything in readiness, we 
mount the wagon and give a cluck to old Pacer. He 
moves gently forward against the collar, but the 
other one moves gently backward against the breech- 
ing. It takes us but a few moments to realize that 
this last mentioned horse needs the greatest part 
of our attention. 

Now, there is an adage that every one can make 
a balky horse pull, except the poor fellow that owns 
him. 

We begin to try out our various kinds of per- 
suaders, but the more we persuade him to move for- 
ward, the more determined he is to move backward ; 
but we diligently persuade him, first on one side 
and then on the other, and then on one end and then 
on the other, until at last, in his desperation, 
he decides he has been trying to advance in the 
wrong direction. He then moves forward with a 
lunge that startles the whole business, even to old 
Pacer. Oh my, that singletree! But father had 
made that himself out of the best of black walnut- 
timber. The lunge sets all the wheels in motion, 
away he goes down the road, pulling the whole 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


19 


wagon, all us boys, and two-thirds of old Pacer. 
After going two or three hundred yards, he decides 
he is acting over-zealous in the matter, and slows 
down; old Pacer picks up his share of the burden, 
and for the rest of the day all goes along smoothly. 

I made up my mind right then and there that, all 
the rest of my life long, I will follow in the footsteps 
of old Pacer. 




BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


21 


SOWING AND REAPING 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures. 

Copyrighted 1922, by the Author. 

Lesson III. 

Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap . 

The truth of these words, spoken by one in author- 
ity, many hundreds of years ago, has through the 
centuries proved absolutely true. 

Sowing means planting the seed, whether expect- 
ing, or not expecting, to reap a harvest. 

Now we believe that there are few greater pleas- 
ures coming to man than when he is sowing the 
golden grain, expecting to reap a bountiful harvest. 
Also, we rather believe that a disturbed feeling 
comes to that individual who is sowing that peculiar 
kind of seed from which he hopes to reap no har- 
vest, yet he knows full well that the statement is 
true, that some day he will reap as he is sowing. 

In considering this subject, we must notice that 
there are three angles presenting themselves: how 
to sow, when to sow, and where to sow — angles of 
much importance. 


22 


SOWING AND REAPING 


Farmers, with their varied experience, have not 
yet been able to settle some of the mooted questions 
in regard to sowing. 

We have heard them speak of planting on the 
moon. Others claim that they plant in the ground. 
Yet, neither can tell which has the advantage, or 
which is the better plan. 

As to the proper time to plant, we are disposed 
to take the Bible instructions for it. This book tells 
us to sow in the morning. 

Well, who would have thought of it in that light? 
Why should we sow in the morning? But reading 
a bit further, we read : And in the evening withhold 
not thy hand. 

©very intelligent farmer readily sees the mean- 
ing and the importance of this divine injunction 
and applies it in both late and early planting. 

Likewise, every intelligent individual readily sees 
the spiritual meaning as it applies to sowing in the 
morning of life, and also, to the sowing in the even- 
ing of life. 

It is rather the purpose of this lecture to prove 
the truth of the statement, As ye sow, so shall ye 
reap. 

There comes into my mind just now, a certain 
Bible incident, in which King David did some sowing, 
and also did some reaping. 

It has always been perplexing to me why this man 
of God should do this abominable deed. Reveling in 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 23 

wealth, surrounded by every luxury that heart could 
desire, he sows the bitterest seed that mortal man 
can sow; and reaps the bitterest harvest that mor- 
tal man could reap. 

The sowing of this careless mortal consisted in 
utterly deceiving one of his most trusted friends, 
a friend who was not only willing to do so, but who 
did give his life in defense of the one who was so 
basely deceiving him. 

We see this trusting and confiding mhn as he flatly 
refuses to accept any privilege not accorded to fellow 
soldiers in the army. 

We see him with sealed letter in his hand, a mis- 
sive that speaks his doom, as he wends his way to 
the front of the army. 

We see him as he delivers the death bearing 
epistle to his commander. 

We see him; as he obeys the command to charge 
that fortified wall, defying death from the missiles. 

We see him as he falls to earth, bleeding, dying; 
his quivering form, his glassy eyes. He has given 
it all for his king. Uriah passes over. 

Ah, cruel king, yonder in that home of splendor, 
in that home of luxury, you are reveling, you are 
sowing the bitterest seed that mortal man can sow, 
and presently you will reap the bitterest harvest 
that mortal man can reap. 

Bitter seed was in the sowing; bitter anguish will 
be the reaping. 


24 


SOWING AND REAPING 


We see him as he gazes upon that dying baby, 
dying because of his bitter sowing. 

We see hims in later years as, from place to place, 
into the caves and into the mountains, he flees from 
his rebellious sons. 

We see him, as his own dear wives mock him, with 
unhuman unkindness. 

We see him, still reaping the bitter harvest, when 
that precious daughter casts dust upon her head, 
having been overpowered by a brutal half brother, 
as she goes forth from that building, with heart 
bleeding, and tears streaming, she wends her way in 
anguish. 

Ah, mortal mfcin, you did some bitter sowing, and 
you did some bitter reaping. 

Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatso- 
ever a man sowieth that shall he also reap. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


25 


THE TEACHER 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures. 

Copyrighted 1922, by the Author . 

Lesson IV. 

It gives me great pleasure, my young teacher 
friends, to address you on this occasion. The pleas- 
ure is so much increased when we come to consider 
your all important calling. 

I suppose that it would be proper at this time to 
follow the custom and make the apology. 

Now, I ami not by the apology as was Dinah, the 
good old colored cook. I am sure you have all heard 
this story. 

It happened that the mistress of the house had 
some visitors drop in very unexpectedly and right 
up near the noon hour, and caught her without any- 
thing much to fix up for the dinner. 

After seating her guests, she slips out into the 
kitchen and says : Dinah, you’ll have to make an apol- 
ogy today for the dinner. Der lor, Missus, says 


26 


THE TEACHER 


Dinah, how can I make de apology when der's no 
flour, nor no sugar, nor no nuffin to make de apology 
out uv? 

Now, I have something to make the apology out 
of. It is this. You know that there is a saying that 
a prize fighter can't come back. After he has gone 
into the ring and has won his world-wide renown as 
a great fighter, and has retired for a season, he can 
fight no more. Any school kid can lick him then. 
So it is with the teacher, after he has gone about 
his mission of teaching, and has filled many a school 
room with his eloquence, and has retired for a season, 
he can't come back. Any school kid can beat him 
making a speech after that. 

Now, I offer this as my apology, that you may 
know the why of the great failure now before you. 

In casting about for something to say of the 
teacher, we might ask the question, Why be a 
teacher, anyway? 

What is the object in entering the profession of 
teaching? 

Is it money? A desire to accumulate wealth? Now 
my dear young teacher, if you are carrying that idea 
along with you, I would advise you to be by that idea 
as the darkey was by the possum. He had been out 
hunting, and had caught him the finest possum. My, 
but he was a dandy. He was taking him home, carry- 
ing him along by the tail, thinking how, when he got 
home with him, he would kill him and cook him, and 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


27 


oh, the possum and the taters. His mouth was just 
watering. He was going along the street. Just 
then a fellow over on the sidewalk, that could throw 
his voice, saw him with the possum. He threw his 
voice out there and made the possum say : What are 
you going to do with me ? The darkey looked down at 
the possum and said: Fs gui'in to drap you right 
here. 

Now if any of you young teachers have the wealth 
idea, I would advise you to drap that idea right here. 

Speaking of the wealth of the teacher reminds 
me of the old saying that the teacher was as poor 
as Job's turkey. 

Now, you all know how poor Job's turkey was. His 
turkey was so poor he had but one feather to his 
name and had to lean up against the fence to gobble. 

But my experience, at least in my teaching days, 
was that the teacher was poorer than Job's turkey. 
He was as poor as the old lady Job's turkey. Do you 
know how poor the old lady Job's turkey was? Her 
turkey was so poor that he didn't have a single 
feather to his name and had no fence to lean up 
against to gobble. Well, that is about the way' of it 
with the teacher. He has no fence to lean up against 
to gobble. 

So we rather doubt that money or wealth can be 
the teacher's goal, or the real reward which our 
teachers are seeking. 


28 


THE TEACHER 


Well, is it matrimony? Now for divers reasons, 
some of them best known to myself, I will pass that 
phase of the question. 

Is it a stepping stone to some higher or nobler 
profession? I might reluctantly admit that there is 
one higher or nobler profession, but only one; and 
the teacher who enters the teacher’s profession as a 
stepping stone to some other profession will find it 
as the darkey said about the road to the chicken 
roost, a crooked road to trabble. 

I believe, just here, I will pass this phase of the 
question, and let each of you young teachers deter- 
mine in your own mind, just why you are entering 
this field of labor. 

We might now consider some other problems con- 
fronting the teacher. 

First — Preparedness. Now the fact that you are 
here in this great school, coming, some of you, even 
hundreds of miles, is evidence that you have consid- 
ered this proposition and have already settled the 
matter of preparedness. 

How to secure a school. — Now this topic brings to 
my mind an incident. I am sure you have all heard 
part of the story, but probably not all of it. 

A certain young teacher, desiring a school, called 
upon one of the trustees of the school and made 
known his mission. Said the trustee : Now, before we 
employ you to teach our school, we wish to know 
whether you teach that the world is round like a 
punkin or flat like a sasser. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


29 


The young teacher, finding himself in a dilemma, 
studied for a moment, then replied: Mr. Trustee, I 
have been off to college, have given this subject very 
close consideration, and am now prepared to teach 
either method. 

Now, you have all heard that part of the story, 
but did you hear whether he did or did not get 
the school? Well, he sure did. 

A similar, though rather worse experience than 
this, came to me in my early school work. 

Having taught out my welcome in a certain neigh- 
borhood, I decided to seek new fields to conquer, and 
having heard of a school in a nearby county that was 
in need of a teacher, and also, having heard that an 
old time neighbor of ours was one of the trustees of 
that school, I made up my mind to land that school. 
And fortunately for me, the trustee, Uncle Bill as we 
called him, was better acquainted with my father 
than with me. 

So, mounted on my ought-to-be-a-mule, I went 
after that school. Hunting up the trustee, Uncle 
Bill, I made known my mission. 

He was so glad to see me, so glad I had come to 
apply for the school. He thought so much of my 
father, he said. 

And such a pleasant conversation, and such a 
splendid dinner. But in the talk that followed, he 
said : Andy, what do you think about all this bosh, 
teaching that the world is round, anyway? 


30 


THE TEACHER 


Now, you can see at once that I didn’t have half 
the show that the other teacher had. He didn’t know 
to which theory his trustee adhered, and had a get- 
ting out place. But I knew to which theory my trus- 
tee leaned, and had absolutely no escape. Did I get 
the school? you say. Well, I sure did. I managed 
it and got the school. 

Now, whatever you do, don’t think for a moment 
that I am advising you to be two-faced, or to ever 
play the part of the bat. But, my dear young teach- 
ers, you will find in your chosen profession, that there 
will come up things that you will just simply have 
to manage. 

The teacher’s place in society. — Well, with the 
amount of wealth accredited to him in the first part 
of this lecture, it is not to be expected that he will 
cut any very great swell in society. 

However, he is an important factor, and with dis- 
cretion he becomes a very important factor. 

There are some old sayings, such as, Still water 
runs deep, A still tongue for a wise head, etc., that 
the teacher might think about. This little incident 
exemplifies this thought. There was a certain parrot 
that could whistle. My, but he was the finest whist- 
ler. He could out-whistle whistling Rufus. So one 
day he whistled him up a bunch of dogs. When the 
dogs gathered around him, the parrot called out: 
Sic him, Sic him. The dogs looking around and 
seeing nothing to sic but the parrot, lit on to him, 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


31 


wool-ed him around awhile, got most of the feathers 
off him,, and went away. The parrot, straightening 
himself up, said : I know what is the matter with me, 
I talk too much. 

While this rather applies to society, there is an 
application in the school room. 

Now, the difference between a preacher or a lec- 
turer, and the teacher, is this : The preacher or lec- 
turer can open his mouth and make everybody else 
shut theirs. The teacher can shut his mouth, and 
make everybody else’s mouth fly open. 

Jesus of Nazareth is called the great teacher. 
Now, if ever in the examination, you are called upon 
to state why Jesus of Nazareth is called the great 
teacher, you answer: Because he drew his lessons 
from nature ; and the board will pass you. But there 
is another reason. Jesus of Nazareth could shut his 
mouth and make everybody else’s mouth fly open. 
When those scribes and Pharisees came bothering 
around him, he would simply ask them a question, 
and close his mouth. Then their lips and jaws would 
go flopping around trying to speak forth the answer. 

How to teach a school. — Now, my young teachers, 
you are here in this great Normal school, spending 
weeks, even months, studying this all-important 
question, and under the teaching of the best in- 
structors that money can secure, and for me to at- 


32 


THE TEACHER 


tempt, in the few minutes I have to speak to you, 
to tell you how to teach school, would be folly in- 
deed. 

However, I will mention one point, originality. 
Many young teachers, noticing the successful work 
of soma older and more experienced teacher, try to 
emulate that teacher. It is right and proper, and of 
great advantage to the young teacher, to watch 
closely the methods of older and more experienced 
teachers, but the young teacher should not lose sight 
of himself. 

No two teachers can teach exactly alike, any more 
than they can look exactly alike. There must be 
originality. Close observation is indeed a great help, 
but originality is the key to success. 

Striving to make the schools of our country bet- 
ter. — Just here we might notice some of the impor- 
tant changes that have been brought about, in the 
last half century, here in our Lone Star State. 

I remember quite well when there was no uniform 
system of text books in our schools. There we had 
the several different kinds of grammars and of arith- 
metics. In fact, all the different studies were repre- 
sented by different kinds of text books. And often, 
too, only one teacher to care for the whole business. 

I want to tell you folks that we teachers, that day 
and time, had some business on our hands, believe 
me. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


33 


I will tell you further, that when the first efforts 
were being put forth to bring about a uniform sys- 
tem of text books, that many of the patrons of the 
schools fought it bitterly. They claimed that such a 
law would be encroaching upon their rights and upon 
their liberty, that they would be forced to use books 
not to their liking. But happily wiser heads pre- 
vailed. 

It might surprise you, should I tell you that when 
the very first teachers’ institutes were being organ- 
ized, here in this part of the state, they were met 
with bitter opposition. Many patrons of the schools 
claimed that it was a scheme of the teachers to bleed 
them for higher salaries. 

Well, we teachers that day and time, had our ups 
and downs; mostly downs, however. And looking 
back over those trying years, I rather believe that 
we gave universal dissatisfaction. 

Now this parting word : be loyal to your profes- 
sion, be firm, be energetic, be diligent in your work, 
and in years to come you will reap a reward, and 
though that reward may not be in dollars and cents, 
it will be a reward that dollars and cents will not 
purchase from you. 

I thank you and may Grod bless you. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


35 


WOMAN 

By A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures. 

Copyrighted 1922, by the Author. 

Lesson V. 

Somewhere, I have read or heard this little anec- 
dote. The husband was sitting in his home quietly 
reading his Bible. Starting up, suddenly, he exclaim- 
ed: Wife, it says here that there appeared a great 
wonder in heaven. Says the wife, anxiously: What 
was it, John? Says he: It was a woman. 

Of course these anecdotes must be taken with salt, 
but I do believe that there are some women, should 
they ever appear in heaven, it would indeed be a 
wonder. 

Now, this is not speaking disparagingly of woman, 
for is she not the capsheaf of all God's creation? 
Most assuredly. For when the Lord went about his 
work of the creation, he began with the lower order 
of things, the herbs, the grass, the beasts, etc., and 
on up, step by step, till man was created in his own 
image, and the last, and the crowning act of all, he 


36 


WOMAN 


created woman. Thus we readily see that woman 
occupies the highest position in God’s creation. But 
is it not a fact, that from this high position, if she 
dares to do so, she can take a plunge that will place 
her on the lowest level? Most assuredly. She can 
of her own accord place herself beneath all other 
beings. 

Now the purpose of this lecture is to bring out and 
prove clearly the truth of this assertion. 

History has always been one of my favorite stud- 
ies. To read of the exploits and the achievements of 
men and women, and peoples and nations. I believe 
the most thrilling and soul-stirring incident it has 
been my lot to read, is one given in the Bible, in the 
book of Judges. 

Now it appears that the children of Israel were 
the chosen people of God, and the people upon whom 
he most lavishly bestowed his blessings. But in re- 
turn for these favors, God exacted of them strict 
obedience to his laws ; on failure of this, he allowed 
other nations to oppress and worry them. 

This was the case at the time of the incident re- 
ferred to, and King Jabin, the Canaanite, with his 
armies, had pillaged and plundered the Israelites 
just as they saw fit, until the Israelites cried mightily 
to their God for help, for relief from their oppressors. 

It had been the custom for years for King Jabin’s 
armies, whenever they desired to do so, to go into 
the land of the Israelites, and carry away with them 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


37 


the cattle, the sheep, the wheat, or anything else 
they wished to appropriate to their own use, and 
the Israelites were helpless to defend themselves. 

Now, it happens that about this time King Jabin 
calls a council of war, and he, with his great general, 
Sisera, and other notables of his armies, plot and 
formulate one of the most dastardly marauding ex- 
peditions of which it has been my privilege to read. 
With their great and powerful armies they were to 
plunder the whole land of the Israelites from end to 
end, not for the purpose of getting cattle, sheep or 
wheat, but the purpose was to slay every one of the 
Israelites, except the damsels, and to bring these 
away as captives to their own country, to be used by 
their own men for their own greed and pleasure. 

Oh ! God, my God, was there ever on earth another 
such a dastardly marauding expedition planned as 
this? It has not been my privilege to read of a 
parallel to this, even in the cruelties of the red sav- 
ages of America, or the heathen or cannibals of 
the earth. But such was the purpose of this expe- 
dition, as planned by King Jabin, his great general, 
Sisera, and others. Seemingly there is nothing to 
prevent their carrying out their heinous intentions. 

So with their pompous army, and their nine hun- 
dred chariots of iron, under the leadership of the 
great general Sisera, they march gallantly away to 
the land of the Israelites. Approaching near the 
main city of this weak and dejected people, they pitch 


38 


WOMAN 


their camp. Would it be possible for us to imagine 
the horror, the dismay, of this poor people, knowing 
as they did, the intentions of the oncoming foe? No 
words could express their dismay. They cry might- 
ily to their God. Will he hear them? Will he an- 
swer their prayers? Now it happens that the ruler 
of this oppressed people, at this time, is a woman, 
Deborah, and when she learns of the approach of the 
enemy, and she knows of their brutal and heinous 
intentions; and when she thinks of those precious 
damsels of her country that are soon to be carried 
away in chains as trophies of war, to become 
the slaves of those brutal, cruel men, her soul is 
stirred within her. She determines, with God’s help, 
to save them from this horrible fate. She calls to 
her, General Barak, and she says, Up, Barak, up, for 
God will deliver King Jabin’s army into your hands. 
But Barak remonstrates that it will be useless. For 
twenty years, says he, the Canaanites have done as 
they pleased to do, and trembling and quaking till 
his knees smite together, he refuses to go. But Deb- 
orah says: Up, Barak, up. Barak says: Deborah, 
I’ll tell you what I’ll do. If you will go along with 
the army, I’ll go ; but if you will not go along, I will 
not go. Well, who ever heard of a general demand- 
ing of his queen or king, or his president, that 
they go with the army to the front? Well, here it 
is. Deborah says : I’ll go. The bugle is blown ; the 
trumpet sounds throughout the land of Zebulon and 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


39 


Naphtalin. The plaintiff pleading of precious moth- 
ers, as they cry out : Save our daughters ! The army 
quickly gathered together, led by Deborah and 
Barak, march away to meet the foe, with that de- 
termination unmistakable. 

Now), by chance, it seems, Deborah and Barak 
have made the mistake of leading their army too far 
to one side, and they pass the army of General Sisera. 
That shrewd and wily chieftain, quick to see his ad- 
vantage, slips his great and magnificent army be^ 
tween the Israelites and their base of supplies not 
realizing for a moment that while he is doing this, 
he is also putting the Israelites between his army 
and his base of supplies. The two armies clash and 
oh, what a battle ! The plaintive pleading : Save our 
daughters, rings in the ears of that band of heroes. 
They fight like demons. With Sisera, and all his 
magnificent army, something seems to be going 
wrong. The steeds rear and plunge and crash to- 
gether, the chariot wheels come off, the men become 
demoralized, lose their wits, and the Isralites are 
slaying them by scores and hundreds. 

General Sisera, in his dismay, seeing all is lost, 
slips off of his chariot of iron and takes up the gulch. 
Oh my, how he runs ! 

But let us leave him there for a moment and watch 
the titanic struggle between the armies. The Canaan- 
ites, demoralized, beaten and cut off from their line 
of retreat, are mowed down till not one is left. Not 
a messenger is left to carry home the news of the 


40 


WOMAN 


defeat, not one. But turn our minds to Sisera. See 
the broad-shouldered, stalwart, well-muscled man, as 
he flees away from that battlefield. But close behind 
him, on his heels, are some broad-shouldered, well- 
muscled Israelites. Oh my! What a race, as they 
speed over hill and dale. Sisera says : If I can only 
reach the tent of Heber, the Kenite, he will hide me 
and save me. He adds distance to his pursuers, and 
when he reaches the last height, and looks down on 
Heber’s tent, his foes are not in sight. Surely he is 
safe. He reaches the tent, someone meets him at 
the door. It’s a woman, Jael ; she says : Turn in, I’ll 
save you. As he turns in he says : You stand in the 
door and if anyone comes, you tell them there is no 
man here. Ah ! Did you ever hear of a great gen- 
eral begging a woman to tell a lie to save him ? Well, 
here it is. He turns in. She gives him food and 
drink. Exhausted, he quickly slumbers. Jael takes 
a nail and the tent hammer, places the nail at 
his temple, and with unerring stroke she drives 
it deep into his brain ; and the proud Sisera passes 
over the way. 

One more scene, and the curtain falls. Yonder in 
that country from whence came that cruel, pompous 
army, is one looking out through the lattices of the 
window. It’s a woman, the mother of the fallen 
Sisera. She is watching, day after day, for the re- 
turn of that pompous army. Impatiently she says : 
Why don’t they come? Why don’t they return? Did 
they not speed ? Then turning to her ladies in wait- 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


41 


in g, she says: Surely they come, yes, they will re- 
turn, the men, each with a damsel or two for their 
trophy. Ah! Woman, if it be lawful to call you a 
woman, from whence this sickening poison, that 
you should desire to see sweet damsels, precious ones 
of your own sex, meet such horrible fate? She says: 
Surely they will come, bringing, each, a damsel or 
two for their trophy. Ah! Cruel woman, you are 
looking in vain. Those gallant men, whom you saw 
go marching off on that dastardly mission, will ne’er 
return. Their swollen bodies are rotting and stink- 
ing on yonder battlefield; and that darling son, the 
joy and pride of your life, you will see him no more, 
for the vultures have picked his eyeballs from their 
sockets, and the wolves, and the jackals, are snarling 
and barking over his decaying body. 

Ah ! Womlan, you are looking in vain. They’ll not 
return bringing, each, a damsel or two for their 
trophy. 



BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


43 


AH! SATAN 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Author* of Bible Lessons and Lectures. 

Copyrighted 1922, by the Author. 

Lesson VI. 

We have as a subject for discussion this evening, 
a very distinguished character, Satan. It is not my 
purpose to tell you how Satan looks. I do not know. 
I have seen a great many pictures or paintings of 
Satan, as drawn by the great artists and painters of 
the past. 

A peculiarity is, that these artists and painters 
have practically agreed on Satan’s appearance. They 
all paint him black, as black as ink can make him. 
I suppose because he is called the Prince of dark- 
ness, that he loves darkness rather than light. I 
notice that they paint him with a pitchfork in his 
hand. I suppose that he may be ready at any and 
all times to stir up something. 

They all paint him smiling. Now why should 
they paint Satan smiling? Well, you know how it is 


44 


AH, SATAN 


with us when everything is going to suit us. The 
rains are coming and the crops are growing as we 
would have them, we go about smiling; and so with 
Satan, as it happens that everything is going about 
to Satan’s notion, all the world gone daffy about him. 
and gone off to serving him; and even here in our 
own country, the very best country on earth; we 
all serve him part of the time, and part of us serve 
him all the time. So I see no reason why he should 
not go on his way smiling. There are other peculiar- 
ities about Satan, the horns, the hump on his back, 
and others, but for lack of time we pass them, we 
do not know. 

But there are some things about Satan that we 
do know. We know that away back, back in ages 
gone by, that he was an angel, an angel up with 
God in Heaven, and that his name was Lucifer. Well, 
you say: He got his name changed. Yes, he is now 
the old serpent, the dragon, called Satan and the 
Devil. 

We know that from the very start of the business, 
he was not the kind of angel he ought to have been. 
He caused discord in Heaven, part of the angels 
taking side with God, and part with Lucifer. This 
condition of affairs went on until it caused war in 
Heaven. Michael and his angels fought, and the 
dragon and his angels fought. 

Now, we do not know how long this war lasted; 
whether for a few hours or for ages ; nor do we know 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


45 


just how it was fought, or with what weapons, 
further than it says they overcame him with the 
blood of the Lamb, and with his testimony. 

Now, I can’t understand this last statement, as I 
have heard others explain it, that all that was neces- 
sary when that war came up, was for God to take 
a few drops of the blood of the Lamb, and sprinkle 
it on Satan and his gang, and they hopped out over 
the battlements of Heaven and disappeared. 

They overcame Satan with the blood of the Lamb, 
it is true; but much on the order, I believe, as that 
German mob was overcome by the blood of Ameri- 
can boys. 

Milton, in his Paradise Lost, gives us a descrip- 
tion of that frightful war, and I can’t help but be- 
lieve, that man of God, as he sat there blind, dictat- 
ing those precious lines, had a guiding star, as much 
so as did John Bunyan, when, from his prison walls, 
he gave us the Pilgrim’s Progress. 

Furthermore, it says here, that Michael and his 
angels fought, and they loved not their lives unto 
the death. That does not sound much like a few 
drops of the blood battle to me. But it sounds like 
that if Michael and his angels were to save Heaven 
for us, they had something to do. 

We know that Michael and his angels prevailed, 
and the dragon and his angels failed, and were cast 
out, and their place was found no more in Heaven. 
Cast out. 


46 


AH, SATAN 


Jesus, speaking to his disciples, said : I saw Satan 
fall like lightning from Heaven. Like lightning? 
Did you ever stop to think how Satan moved away 
from Heaven? How fast lightning moves? Should 
a flash of lightning start from this place westward, 
encircling the earth, while the pendulum of the clock 
swings over to one side and back, ticking off one 
second of time, that flash of lightning would pass 
out over the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Ocean, 
the Eastern Hemisphere, the Atlantic Ocean, and 
over us on its way again over land and sea, and 
around again, and around again, and around again, 
and again, and again; until in that second of time, 
that flash of lightning would pass around this earth 
seven times. Lightning moves. A cannon ball mov- 
ing through midair with all the speed that high ex- 
plosives can give it, can be distinctly seen by a flash 
of lightning, and it appears to be absolutely still; 
and to all intents and purposes, it is still, compared 
to the speed with which lightning moves. 

Jesus says : Satan fell like lightning from Heaven. 
Isaiah says: The mjghty Lucifer fell down to the 
earth. 

Now, if it be in the power of our mind to do so, 
let us follow him out over the course he came, as he 
came whizzing through all those beautiful constella- 
tions, those magnificent orbs, those splendid planets. 
First, there is Venus, beautiful white planet, forever 
wrapped in clouds; just now our pretty evening 
star. He misses it. There is Mars, beautiful red 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 47 

planet, vegetation red instead of green. A beauti- 
ful world. He misses it. There is Jupiter, magnifi- 
cent planet, eleven hundred times as large as this 
earth and nine moons to give it light by night. 
Satan misses it. There is Saturn, the pearl of the 
heavens, with its several moons, and three rings or 
moons clear around it. Majestic beauty, beautiful 
enough, it seems to me, to be the very paradise of 
God. Satan comes whizzing by, close enough per- 
haps, to get a better view of it, than we can get 
with our largest telescopes. He misses it, and comes 
whizzing on through, and bumps up against this old 
earth. Well, there must have been some bumping 
took place just then. I do not know whether it was 
the earth got bumped, or Satan that got bumped; 
but judging from the hump on his back, ’twas Satan 
got bumped. 

And there came whizzing in after him his whole 
gang, I don’t know how many, but it says he drew 
a third part of the stars of heaven with him. A 
third part of the angels had put their trust in Satan 
that day, as nine-tenths of humanity are doing this 
day. They came whizzing in, and such a bumping 
and splattering as must have taken place. I don’t 
know how many people were on earth just then; 
there couldn’t have been more than two, but I draw 
an idea that the frogs, and snakes, and alligators, 
when that bumping took place, thought something 
was happening, and sure enough it was. For away 


48 


AH, SATAN 


off there in Heaven a voice was heard to say in 
words that mean this: The war is ended, peace in 
Heaven for ever more. Then looking over the bat- 
tlements of Heaven, that voice continued: Woe to 
the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea, for Satan 
has come down unto you having great wrath. My, 
but he was furious. 

Ah! Satan, you didn’t have any smile on your 
face just that minute, that smile grew up and de- 
veloped since things got going more to suit you 
than they were just then. 

Well, Satan is with us alright. We have the evi- 
dence, we’ve got the proof. There is a statement 
in that book which says: The heavens declare the 
glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handi- 
work. Now, I have tried and tried to think up a 
statement applicable to Satan, as that is to the 
Creator. I can’t equal it. The best I can do is this : 
The vice and wickedness of mankind declare the 
glory of Satan; and wrecks and ruin showeth his 
handiwork. That does tolerably well. 

He is with us alright; and now that he is with 
us, it is well that we study him, investigate him, 
this Satan of ours. 

First: Let us investigate him as to his judgment. 
Has he a good sound judgment, so that if we go on 
serving him, he will not get us into trouble? 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 49 

We know that he acted so foolishly in the ages 
gone by, that he got himself and all his friends 
kicked out of Heaven. This fact alone proves that 
he has no judgment. 

But let us test him out in his dealings with man- 
kind. There are numerous instances, one of which 
we will notice, his dealings with Job. 

Now Job lived over there in the land of Uz, and 
he was a very, very rich man, the richest man in all 
the East, yet he was a perfect man. He served the 
Lord and hated evil. 

Now if there is anything on this earth that gives 
Satan the blues, it is a rich man serving the Lord. 
He can scarcely stand that. Satan wants the serv- 
ices of all classes as to that, he would much rather 
Lazarus would have come down to his bosom, than 
to have gone off to Abraham's bosom. But a poor 
man like Lazarus and some of us, we can't do much; 
but a rich man when he turns his forces for God and 
right, he can do things. He can help build schools, 
and church houses, hospitals, sanitariums, and sani- 
toriums, and otherwise help the poor and needy. 
Satan does not like that kind of business, he didn’t 
like Job a little bit. He had his eye on him. He 
was watching him. 

Now it happened along about this time, that there 
was a meeting of some kind over there, I don’t 
know, but it sounds more like an old time prayer 
meeting; and the sons of God came together to pre- 
sent themselves before the Lord, and, lo, Satan comes 


50 


AH, SATAN 


among them. Satan go to prayer meeting? Yes, 
if he thought no one there would pinch him. Satan 
comes among them. The Lord sees him there, and 
he says: Well, Satan, where did you come from? 
From going to and fro in the earth, and walking up 
and down in it. 

Have you considered my servant Job? How that 
there is none so perfect in all the land? How he 
serves the Lord and eschews evil? 

Ah! Does Job serve you for nothing? You have 
made a hedge about him, and a hedge about his 
house, and a hedge about everything he has, on every 
side. Ah! Satan, you gave yourself away just then, 
you knew about the hedges. You had tried them 
from every side and angle. 

A hedge on every side, you have blessed the work 
of his hand; you take away his wealth, and he'll 
curse you to your face. 

Alright Satan, the hedge is down, only you don’t 
touch him. 

Satan doesn’t stay till prayer meeting is over, he 
gets out from the presence of the Lord ; and by day- 
light next morning, he is away down there in the 
land of the Sabeans and Chaldeans, lawless, mur- 
derous clans. He stirs up a horde of them, they 
go up there and make a raid on Job’s ranch, carry 
off every hoof of stock he’s got and kill all the serv- 
ants but three or four. Seeing this well done, he 
gets him some fire, and sets fire to Job’s pasture, 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


51 


burns it out, and bums up the last sheep he's got. 
Satisfied with this? No, he wants to be doubly sure. 

Now, Job has seven noble, manly sons, and he 
loves them, and he prays for them the first thing 
every morning. He has three sweet little daughters, 
just the joy of his life. Now these sons and daugh- 
ters love each other, they can scarcely stand to be 
separated for a day at a time. Now they are all 
together over there at the home of the eldest 
brother, having some kind of a re-union, just having 
the time of their lives. Satan gets him up a great 
gust of wind over there in the wilderness, and just at 
the right time, while they are all in there eating 
their dinner, he brings that gust of wind down on 
that building, smites it down, and crushes out the 
life of the last one of Job's sons and daughters. He 
doesn't leave Job one sweet little daughter to put her 
arms around his neck and love him. Ah! Satan, 
you are cruel. And yet I suspect there are little 
girls here that are serving him. 

I've got him now, says Satan. He gets himself 
over to Job's house, hides out there in the chimney 
corner, or somewhere around so that when Job 
hears the news, he will get to hear him curse the 
Lord. 

He watches. Presently, he sees the servants com- 
ing, strung out in a row, running as for their lives. 
Job sees them and stands in amazement. The 
first one gets there, and he says : Job, the Sabeans 
have fallen in on the cattle, the oxen, and have 


52 


AH, SATAN 


carried them all away, and have killed all the 
herders but me, and I have come to tell you. Another 
gets there and he says: Job, the Chaldeans have 
made out three bands, fallen in on the camels, car- 
ried them all away, and killed off all the herders 
but me, and I have come to tell you. Another gets 
there and he says: Job, fire has come down from 
heaven and burned up the last sheep you had. An- 
other gets there and he says : Job, there has come a 
great wind from the West, smote the four corners 
of the building where your sons and daughters were 
feasting, smote it down and crushed out the life 
of each of your sons and daughters; they are all 
dead. Satan listening. Job, with heart bursting and 
tears streaming, points away towards Heaven and 
he says: The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken 
away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Ah ! Satan, 
you’re beat. Your judgment failed you. You didn’t 
think it could be done. Does he give it up? No sir, 
not Satan. By and by prayer meeting time comes 
around again, and the sons of God come together to 
present themselves before the Lord for repairs, and 
lo and behold, Satan comes among them. At prayer 
meeting again. The Lord sees him there, and he 
says: Well Satan, where did you come from this 
time? 

From going to and fro in the earth, and walking 
up and down in it. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


53 


How about my servant Job? You moved me to 
take away the last thing on earth he had, and with- 
out cause, and he still serves me. 

Ah! there be those who care not for wealth, you 
just touch him, touch his skin, and he’ll curse you 
to your face. 

Alright Satan, the hedge is down, only you don’t 
take his life. Satan doesn’t stay till prayer meeting 
is over. He’s got business on hand. He gets out from 
the presence of the Lord, he hits a bee line for the 
land of Uz, and by midnight he is down there prowl- 
ing around Job’s house. Sure enough the hedge is 
down. Now we might fancy, Satan got up some 
virulent poison, and injected it into Job’s blood, and 
smote him with boils that way; but I rather think 
he got up some very poisonous gas, something like 
he had the Germans get up for the American boys, 
and gave Job a few good whiffs of it while he lay 
there sleeping soundly, and poisoned him up to a 
finish. 

Next morning Job awoke feeling dreadful bad. 
Presently the pimples began to appear, and the 
boils began to push out, and they grew, and swelled 
up during the day, and by night he had boils from 
crown to foot. Oh ! but he was suffering. Satan takes 
his place out there to listen, so he can hear Job curse 
the Lord. He sits there all night, doesn’t get a wink 
of sleep, listening. What does he hear? Job pray- 
ing, as he says : Lord, I am but a dust worm, not 
worthy of thy loving kindness. And he’s talking, con- 


54 


AH, SATAN 


soling his heart-broken companion, as he says: I 
know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall 
stand at the latter day upon the earth, and though 
after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my 
flesh I shall see God. Satan is about to lose. Along 
about day he thinks of something. Now, Job has 
three friends over there, dear friends that have 
stood close by him through all those years of pros- 
perity. Satan gets himself over there, and even be- 
fore it is good light, he passes as a great spirit be- 
fore one of the friends, Eliphaz, and in a deep 
solemn tone, characteristic of the once great angel, 
he says: Shall mortal man be more just than God? 
Shall a man be more pure than his maker? Ah! 
Satan, you're sublime. You make old Eliphaz' hair 
stand on end, but you take care that he doesn't dis- 
cern the form of that spirit. He would have known 
you from report. Then Satan arouses the three 
friends, and he says: Here, your friend Job is in 
distress and about to die ; you should go and counsel 
with him and advise him. 

The three friends get together by appointment, 
and go to see about their friend Job, and when they 
get in sight of him, they can scarcely believe their 
eyes. He is so changed they can scarcely believe it 
is he, and they are so dumbfounded, they sit there 
a whole week, scarcely speaking a word. Then sum- 
moning up their courage, one of them, Eliphaz, 
speaks and says: Job, the reason you are suffer- 
ing this way is because of your sins ; you have been 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


55 


living in iniquity, and the Lord is punishing you for 
it. You should get right with God and then he will 
bless you. 

Job answers and tries to reason that it is not that 
way ; that at no time has the hungry gone away from 
his door unfed; at no time has the wayfaring man 
slept in the street in the cold; at no time has he 
laid in wait at his neighbor’s door. 

Another one, Bildad, speaks and he says : Job, the 
reason your sons and daughters were destroyed over 
there was because of their sins. They were living 
in iniquity and the Lord has destroyed them for it. 
Wasn’t that comforting to poor old Job in his time 
of trouble? I want to diverge from the subject just 
here, long enough to say that this condition of af- 
fairs goes on before us every day. There is a beau- 
tiful little city over there, the inhabitants going on 
in the walks of life as usual. There are the business 
men hustling around, there are the old and the 
feeble, the middle-aged, the young and the gay, and 
the infant at its mother’s bosom, all going on as 
customary. Suddenly and without warning, a tor- 
nado sweeps down on the little city, wipes it off the 
map, leaving death and destruction in its path; or 
a flood rolls its giant waves up over the city, sweeps 
it out, leaving death and desolation on its way, or 
an earthquake shakes the foundation of the build- 
ings, they tumble down, catch fire, and the flames 
sweep over the city, leaving death and devastation 
in their wake. The cry goes out, Help! Help! for 


56 


AH, SATAN 


this stricken city. Help! for this suffering people. 
You’ve got your hand down in your pocket to get 
out the donation to help those stricken people, and 
you hear a voice, and you hear that voice as plainly 
as ever you heard a rooster crow for day, and it 
says: Here, that miay be a judgment sent on that 
people for their sins. They may not deserve your 
help, just put that money back in your pocket, your 
family needs it anyway. Ah! Satan, you’re slimy. 

Yes, they tell Job it is because of his iniquity. 

Job answers and tries to reason, but a third one, 
Zophar, speaks, and he says : Job, they’re right. God 
blesses those who serve him, and punishes those who 
sin against him, and you should cease your lying 
words and get right with God, and then he will 
bless you. 

Job gets so worried with his friends. He asks 
them some questions, some thirty questions, and 
they can’t answer a single one of them, and they get 
so offended at Job that they leave off speaking to 
him. 

Just at this juncture Elihu, the Buzite begins to 
buzz. It has always been a mystery to me, where 
Satan picked up that young theologian anyway. All 
we know about him, it says he was of the kindred 
of Ram, and for that reason I suppose, he thought 
he had a right to butt in; and he seems to be a 
youngster of importance, at least in his own eyes, 
for he proceeds to blister out the whole business. 
The three friends because they can’t answer Job’s 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


57 


foolish questions, and Job for asking such foolish 
questions; and he tells Job that age counts for noth- 
ing any more. My, but they had it around and 
around. 

But the time comes when these must go away to 
look after their interests, and they leave Job alone 
wiith his poor broken-hearted companion, poor dis- 
consolate mother. Now we often hear Job’s misfor- 
tunes spoken of, but never the misfortunes of this 
sainted mother. 

Has she not lost her manly sons? No more will 
she hear their merry voices. They are gone from 
her. Her three sweet little daughters are dead. Not 
one sweet little daughter left to put her arms around 
her neck, and kiss her lips and call her mother. They 
are gone from her. Distracted with grief, almost 
dethroned of reason, she gives it up, and she says: 
Job, curse God and die. Satan listening. Why don’t 
he? Why dont he? But Job says: Wife, that 
would be foolishness. Shall we expect all good 
things from the Lord and nothing evil? I’ll do 
nothing of the kind. 

But the time comes when the business must be 
settled. It must terminate. The question comes to 
him: Job, what are you going to do about it? In 
the face of all this will you continue to serve the 
Lord? He lifts his old rotten arm and points away 
toward heaven, and he says : Let come to me what 
will ; though he slay mje, yet will I trust in him. 


58 


AH, SATAN 


Ah! Satan, you're beat. Your judgment failed 
you. You didn’t believe it could be done. 

He gets up and skulks away from that place. 

By and by, prayer meeting time comes around 
again, and the sons of God come together as usual 
to present themselves before the Lord; and lo and 
behold, Satan is not there. Not at prayer meet- 
ing that night, and in my judgment, I doubt if he 
has ever been to prayer meeting since. He got so 
pinched the two times he perched himself up there 
with the real sons of God, that he stays away, and 
he keeps everybody else away that he can. 

0 yes, he’ll send along a representative, but the 
sorriest hunch-back imp of his whole realm can 
take care of all his business at prayer meeting, and 
sleep half the time. 

Well, Satan, you’ve got no judgment. That is set- 
tled. But after all it makes little difference whether 
he has any judgment or not; we’ll go on and serve 
him just the same, for we’ve got no judgment either. 

Let us test him out as to his veracity. Will he tell 
us the truth? Will he keep his promises with us? 

We know that away back in the ages gone by, he 
was a liar, and that he is the father of liars; but 
we are not discussing them, we’re sticking to our 
subject. 

Now Adam and Eve are placed over there in that 
beautiful garden. Oh, so happy! Eve is out there 
enjoying herself among the beautiful trees. Satan 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


59 


comes along and he speaks very politely. Yes, hasn’t 
God told you that there is some of the fruit of this 
garden that you can not partake of? That you can 
not eat? 

In her simplicity, she says: Yes, he has told us 
that we can eat of the fruit of the tree of life here, 
and of all the other trees in the garden, except the 
one tree, the tree of knowledge in the midst of the 
garden ; we are not to eat of the fruit of it, or touch 
it, lest we die. 

Ah! says Satan, God knows at the very time you 
eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, your eyes 
will be opened, and you will become wise as the 
gods, knowing good and evil. He glides away and 
hides, peeps his head out of the grass as any other 
serpent, to see what is going to happen. 

Eve considers and reconsiders, meditates and 
premediates, eats some of the fruit, gives to Adam 
and he eats of it. Did they die? No, not from 
Satan’s standpoint. They got everything that Satan 
promised them, and more too. Blit from God’s stand- 
point the very moment they took that peculiar fruit 
into their system, the death germ set up, just as 
surely as typhoid germs taken into the system, will 
set up typhoid fever. The death germ was there; 
and it is there to stay, regardless of the Elixir 
hunters. 

As that seems to be a kind of stand off, we will 
test him out in his dealings with our own selves. He 


60 


AH, SATAN 


comes to us in many ways. He comes to the mer- 
chant, and he says: Here, they're most all doing 
this; why not you? You can manipulate your bal- 
ances so that when you weigh out a pound of any- 
thing, instead of its being sixteen ounces, it will be 
fourteen ounces, and by so doing, you can add 
fourteen per cent more profit to your sales. Is the 
statement true ? It is absolutely true. The merchant 
can do that, but suppose that merchant turns upon 
him and says. Here Satan, if I act thus dishonestly 
with my customers, will you promise me that I can 
hold my customers, maintain my trade, or that it 
will be better for me in the long run? Or that when 
I come to press a dying pillow, that my conscience 
will not burn within me for having acted dishonestly 
with my customers? What will you promise me, 
Satan? Nothing. 

He comes to the clerk in the store and he says: 
Here, you are doing some hard work for this firm, 
and your salary appears to be meager; but you can 
do this. In all that big bill of goods, you can leave 
something off the bill, collect for it, slip that into 
your pocket and increase your salary. Is the state- 
ment true? It is absolutely true. The clerk can 
do that, but suppose the clerk turns upon him and 
says: Now Satan, if I act thus dishonestly with 
my employers, will you promise me that I will not 
be suspected, detected, lose my position, and go 
out of here in disgrace? What will you promise me, 
Satan? Nothing. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


61 


He comes to the cashier in the Bank, or the ac- 
countant of money, and he says : Here is some fine 
oil stock, just almost bound to be a winner; you 
ought to buy some of it. But you haven't got the 
money, your salary is so meager that you can 
scarcely keep your family respectable; but you can 
do this: you can manipulate that figure one that 
counts it one thousand dollars, one place to the 
right, so that it will count a hundred dollars, and 
you can invest the nine hundred dollars difference 
in this stock, and you will be almost bound to win 
out, and then you can treat your family better. Well, 
suppose he manipulates it, and buys the stock, pos- 
sibly he comes out pretty well with it; possibly he 
doesn't. By any by the examiner of the books comes 
around, and looks over the figures ; in all that multi- 
tude of figures he doesn’t detect the error, and he gets 
by with it, nine hundred dollars to the good. Pres- 
ently there is a lot of stock on the market, just the 
very best buy, just bound to win out; but it takes a 
lot of money. That voice whispers. Now you can 
manipulate that figure one, that counts it ten thou- 
sand dollars, one place to the right, and you can in- 
vest the nine thousand dollars difference into this 
stock, and you are almost bound to win out, and then 
you can treat your wife and children as they ought 
to be treated. He manipulates and buys the stock. 
By and by the examiner comes around again ; some 
one has dropped him a hint. He looks more closely. 


62 


AH, SATAN 


The embezzlement is detected. The poor fellow is 
arrested. Stands trial. He hears the clerk of the 
court read: Guilty. He takes those precious chil- 
dren in his arms, and with heart bleeding, he kisses 
them good bye. He turns to that loving companion, 
that one who would willingly have laid down her 
life for him, standing there with trembling, quiver- 
ing lips. He kisses her good bye; and hikes it to 
the land of striped clothes. Whose fault is it? 
Satan’s? No sir, there are a lot of people in this 
world who have Satan down wrong. Satan is sim- 
ply going about tending strictly, and diligently, to 
his own business; and we all know what that busi- 
ness is. The fault is with that man, that individ- 
ual, who had the power, and the only one on earth, 
or in Heaven, that did have the power, to say yes 
or no to that transaction. 

He comes to us in thousands of ways. He comes 
talking worldly pleasure, worldly enjoyments. Oh, so 
many, many good things to have to give them all up. 
But turn upon him and talk to him, and say : Here, 
Satan, if I go on accepting these worldly pleasures 
and enjoyments, will you promise me that I will 
keep my health? That I will stay well and able to 
enjoy them? Or will I go down in sickness, disease 
and suffering? What will you promise me, Satan? 
Nothing. 

He comes talking time enough yet. Oh, so many, 
many happy years ahead, time enough yet. But 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


G3 


turn upon him and talk to him. Talk to him, not 
like he was some kind of mysterious evil influence 
permeating space; but talk to him like Jesus talked 
to him there on the temple and in the mountain ; and 
say: Here, Satan, let us know positively about this 
time-enough-yet proposition. If I go on serving 
you and doing your bidding, will you promise me 
and assure me, that I have ten years yet? Twenty 
years, forty years? Satan, will you promise me, or 
assure me that I have five years yet? Satan, will 
you, or can you, promise me or assure me, that I have 
one year yet? Satan, will you promts and guar- 
antee unto me, that in the morning when the sun 
rises up over those hills, and begins spreading its 
golden beams out over this country, that my heart 
will still be beating, and spreading the red blood 
out over my body? Or will it be cold and clammy, 
and silent in death? What will you promise me, Sa- 
tan? Nothing. Satan promises us nothing. 

But says one : That won’t do ; for it says : He is the 
deceiver of the nations. 

Yes, he is the deceiver of the nations, alright. 
But the reason he is the deceiver of the nations, is 
because they think he has promised them something 
when he hasn’t. 

This talk would not be complete if I did not call 
your attention to one who will promise you some- 
thing. That one who says: Come unto me all ye 
that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you 
rest. There is a promise, and made by one that has 


64 


AH, SATAN 


the power to back it. That one who says : Put not too 
much stress on worldly treasures, where moth and 
rust corrupt, and thieves break through and steal; 
but rather lay them up here with me in Heaven; 
and I will keep them for you forevermore. As a 
proof to you that I have the power, I point you away 
to those glittering stars, those splendid planets, 
those magnificent orbs, those beautiful constella- 
tions. By my power I placed them there and by 
my power I keep them there; and by my power I 
can keep you, and your treasures too, forever and 
forever. Here are some promises. Will you lay 
hold on them? Will you accept them? What are 
you going to do about it, friend? What are you 
going to do about it? 

Now I thank you and miay God bless you. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


65 


THE FUNNIEST LAW 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Author* of Bible Lessons and Lectures . 

Copyrighted 1922, by the author. 

Lesson VII. 

Work out your own salvation with fear and tremb- 
ling. This as a divine injunction, given us by one 
in authority. Were we to undertake to explain the 
exact purport of this sentence, we might get our- 
selves and all our friends into trouble. We merely 
quote it, as it shows, though we have had no voice 
in the matter of coming into existence in this life, 
that how and where we are to spend eternity, rests 
absolutely upon our own shoulders. 

Again, when man was made a living creature, and 
placed here in the likeness and image of his Creator, 
he was given the divine injunction: Subdue the 
earth. Just how far ,man has gone in carrying 
out this injunction remains to be seen. We know 
that during the intervals, when men have not been 
engaged in subduing each other, they have made 
at least some progress. Man has gone out over 


66 


THE FUNNIEST LAW! 


the breadth of the earth, and caused the virgin 
soil to yield up the bountiful harvests. By drain- 
age, he has changed the dismal swamps into fertile 
farms; even large portions of the sea have been 
subjugated and are now dotted with beautiful 
homes. He has gone down into the depths of the 
earth and brought forth the hidden treasures. He 
has gone forth on the breadth of the ocean, carry- 
ing with him the world's commodities. He has 
gone down deep into the sea, and brought forth 
priceless pearls. He has reached up into the sky, 
and harnessed the lightning. He has taken leave 
of the earth, and sailed out into the clouds with 
the Audacity and safety of an eagle. Yea, the 
achievements of pian would fill a volume much 
larger than this. Has he finished? Will he yet 
open up the doors of unknown realms? Will he 
check the floods, the tornadoes, the typhoons? Will 
he put an end to drouth and famine at his pleasure? 
Time only can tell. 

But the purpose of this lecture, is to take a 
glimpse into another phase of man's obligations 
to his Creator, that of making laws by which he 
is to be governed, while doing these other things. 

But says one : Did not God make the law by which 
mankind was to be governed? Yes, God gave the 
law. The ten commandments contain all the law 
needed by mankind. No further law book but these 
ten commandments would be needed, if, yes, if, 
the laws embraced in these ten commandments were 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 67 

never broken. But there lies our trouble. Some- 
one is going to break those laws. Someone is going 
to kill his fellow man; then it falls to man's lot 
to write page after page of law on murder, as to 
the different degrees, penalties, etc. 

Someone is going to steal; likewise pages, even 
volumes, must be written on theft. Someone is 
going to covet his neighbor’s property, or his neigh- 
bor’s wife. Volumes must be written to simplify 
this, and so on. 

Now, man has gone about the business of making 
or enacting these laws. Some to stay on the statute 
books, some to be amended, some to be repealed, 
and all, more or less, to be disobeyed or broken. It 
is needless to say that an investigation of these 
man-made laws, of different ages and different peo- 
ple, would bring to light many quaint, queer and 
curious laws. 

In casting about for the quaintest, or the funniest 
of all these laws, our mind goes back to one en- 
acted by the children of Israel, many hundreds of 
years ago, a law enacted in behalf of the dead. 

This law provided, that should a man marry a 
woman, and die without children, that his next 
oldest brother should take her to be his wife, and 
raise up children for his dead brother. A very 
short law indeed, but like all other laws, made to 
be broken; for it would sometimes happen, that 
the next brother, already wondering how his older 
brother could have become infatuated with that 


68 


THE FUNNIEST LAW 


ugly thing, rebels at the thought of taking his ugly 
old sister-in-law into his bosom, and refuses to obey 
the law. Like all other laws, of course, a penalty 
was provided for those to pay, who refused to obey 
the law. 

This was the penalty. That should a man, whose 
elder brother had passed away, leaving no children, 
refuse to take his brother's wife, to be his wife, then 
he should be haled into court, and there be ad- 
monished and pleaded with, and *duly remonstrated 
with; then if he still refuses to obey the law, and 
still refuses to take her to |be his wife, then the 
rejected woman should spit in his face; then they 
would take off his shoe and give jit to her, and he 
would go barefoot the rest of his life. 

Well, doubtless we have all seen some funny 
trials in the courts, but suppose we were to witness 
a trial of this kind, \ there would be the officers of 
the court, begging and pleading with the offender 
to stand by, and obey the law. There would be the 
down-cast offender who after all the evidence was 
in, would say: No, I'll die first. Then we would see 
the rejected one; as a last effort, she advances, 
she puts on her best looks, her sweetest smile, she 
comes near him, and in pleading tones she says: 
Won't you please marry me? He answers: I'll die 
first. 

You know what Shakespeare says of a woman 
scorned. Then she gets the lotion ready, with lips 
drawn tight and tongue in position, a step forward, 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


69 


and she turns loose the whole lotion into his 
face. It hits him about the upper end of his nose, 
spreads out over his eyes; it runs down over his 
lips, drips off his chin onto his plaited-bosom shirt. 
How the audience roars in laughter. They take 
off his shoe, and give it to her, and he is known 
thenceforth as the shoeless man. 

My! what a funny law, and what a blessing to 
man, that it was repealed before snuff came into 
fashion. 

I thank you. 

































BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


71 


THE LORD GOES A TRAPPING 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures. 

Copyrighted 1922, by the author. 

Lesson VIII. 

One of the pleasant experiences of my boyhood 
days was to go a trapping. To get together the 
material to make the trap, to adjust the triggers, 
so as to outwit Mr. Bobwhite, and to do him up 
in bird pie fashion; or to outwit Mr. Skunk and 
end his barnyard prowling; or to outwit Mr. Coon 
and put a stop to his roasting ear foraging. Then 
later on to be able to fix the trap for Mr. Wolf, and 
the next morning to slip down through the bushes 
to see him lying complacently beside the trap. To 
look into his hazel eyes, as he crouches there meekly, 
as if he would say: You've got me. These were 
pleasant experiences, such as I suppose all trappers 
enjoy; even the natives in the African jungle, 
though ignorant in all other things, are able to con- 
struck such devices as to outwit Mr. Tiger, Mr. Lion, 
or even Mr. Elephant himself, and bring them into 
subjection. 


72 


THE LORD GOES TRAPPING 


But the purpose of this lecture is to make mention 
of what we consider the world’s greatest feat in 
trapping. It having been the most effective and 
far-reaching in its plans and results. This is when 
the Lord went a trapping. Now, it came about this 
way: Far back in the ages gone by, we do not 
know how long ago, there came up a discord in 
heaven which continued until war resulted, and Sa- 
tan, the instigator of the trouble, was cast down 
to the earth. Just why the God of heaven did not 
lay hold on the old dragon then, and bind him with 
chains and cast him into the bottomless pit for 
eternity, remains to be seen. It appears that the 
God of heaven, who is the owner and the possessor 
of all those beautiful constellations, those magnifi- 
cent orbs, those splendid planets, and the wealth 
of this world, desires to raise up for himself a 
peculiar people, a people he can trust to be priests 
and kings with him throughout the coming ages. 

Not for just a few years, as man would count 
time, but for ages, the duration of which should 
we endeavor to have you comprehend the time, 
we would ask you to take a look at the sands of 
the seashore, and of all the particles of sand com- 
posing the mountains and valleys of the earth, from 
pole to pole, and from center to circumference; and 
now if your mind can conceive of the number of 
these particles of sand, we would say of the length 
of these ages, not that many years, but that many 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


73 


billions of years, and then at the end of that time 
we have scarcely made a beginning. Such is the 
duration of the coming ages. 

Now in order to have priests and kings with him 
through all these ages, who are to enjoy his riches 
untold, it is but fair and right that these should 
be given an advance trial, a test of purity, a test 
of loyalty, before placing them in the eternal in- 
heritance. 

Now it is to bring about this desired end, that 
the Lord goes a trapping, and strange to say, the 
bait he uses is a beautiful woman, to our mind, 
by far the most beautiful woman that has ever 
Walked this earth. For she is fresh from the hands 
of her Creator, pure and spotless, and fair as the 
driven snow. 

God has already planted a beautiful garden, and 
created man, and placed him therein to till the soil. 
God then brings this beautiful woman to the man, 
presents her to him, saying to them: Be fruitful 
and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue 
it. But he further says: You may eat of the fruit 
of all the trees in the garden, except the tree of 
knowledge in the midst of the garden, ye are not 
to eat of the fruit of it; for in the day thou eatest 
thereof, thou shalt surely die. The trap is set, and 
like we did when we were boys, God goes away 
from the trap. 

Now, there is skulking near that scene, unques- 
tionably eaves-dropping, a slimy being, already furi- 


74 


THE LORD GOES TRAPPING 


ous because of his loss of Heaven and possibly won- 
dering why God would trespass on the only inheri- 
tance left him by giving it over to man. He resolves 
to thwart God’s whole purpose. The story of how 
he went about doing this is familiar to all. 

But he finds that he has made the blunder, that 
he is trapped, for though he has the privilege of 
bruising their heel, the seed of woman will bruise 
his head, and he finds that God now has all prepara- 
tions necessary to bring up priests and kings to be 
his heirs in eternity. 

A people who will serve God, whom having not 
seen, they love. By faith they believe on him, will 
trust him and obey him and serve him in trials, in 
temptations, in woe, in tribulation, in the dungeon, 
in the fiery furnace, and for his cause will die any 
kind of death. This is the kind of people God 
purposed from the beginning should reign with him 
in eternity; and he went a trapping to carry out 
his purpose. 

We believe there is another instance in which the 
Lord went a trapping. This time he uses for a 
bait a great and sturdy ranchman. Job, the faith- 
ful servant, is the bait. In answer to Satan’s chal- 
lenge, the Lord turns Job with all his wealth over 
to Satan, who tries to escape with the bait, only to 
find himself trapped. Had Satan known how that 
business was going to terminate, he would not have 
done that for a thousand souls, no, not for ten 
thousand souls or more. For Job, just asi God 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


75 


planned he should do, when he set his trap, gave 
to fallen humanity one of the greatest lessons in 
patience the world has ever known. 

I thank you. 


PREFACE TO THE WORLD'S GREATEST 
MISSIONARY LESSON 

Some years ago, sketching over a piece of Sunday 
school literature, I read an article commending 
Ruth for going on with Naomi to Judea, and cast- 
ing her lot with a better people, and condemning 
Orpah for returning to her gods and her people; 
and having studied the infidel version of this affair, 
in which they state that Ruth got up and deserted 
her people, and forsook her mother, and went off 
with that foreign woman to a land of plenty, and 
gay society; and their further claim, that Ruth's 
statement that Naomi’s God w’as to be her god 
indicated that Naomi’s God was not a god of Moab 
after Naomi left that country; and that Ruth 
could not have had Naomi’s God, had she remained 
with her people, and where she could have given 
them the light she had, and where she could have 
taken care of her father and her mother in their 
waning years. A careful study of these statements 
brought about the following lecture : 





BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


77 


THE WORLD’S GREATEST MISSIONARY 
LESSON 

By A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures. 

Copyrighted 1922, by the author. 

Lesson IX. 

Writers of present day stories are very careful 
to get what they are pleased to call a good setting, 
or background for their stories; that is they will 
enter into a minute description of the surroundings. 
The rugged mountains, the vine-clad hills, the silver 
lake, the placid river, come in for an accurate de- 
scription, as do their characters, the hero, the her- 
oine, even as to the color of their hair, their eyes, and 
all. Not so with ancient writers of Bible stories. 
They enter at once into the facts, in plain words that 
a child can understand. This is evidenced by the 
portion of a story I shall read to you, the first 
chapter of the book of Ruth, which reads as follows : 

1. Now it came to pass, in the days when the 
judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. 


78 


GREATEST MISSIONARY LESSON 


And a certain man of Beth-le-hem- Judah went to so- 
journ in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and 
his two sons. 

2. And the name of the man was E-lime-lech, 
and the name of his wife Na-omi, and the name of 
his two sons Mahlon and Chili-on, Eph-rath-ites of 
Beth-le-hem- Judah. And they came into the coun- 
try of Moab, and continued there. 

3. And E-lime-lech, Na-omi’s husband, died; 
and she was left, and her two sons. 

4. And they took them wives of the women 
of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the 
name of the other, Ruth; and they dwelled there 
about ten years. 

5. And Mahlon and Chilion died also, both of 
them; and the woman was left of her two sons 
and her husband. 

6. Then she arose, with her daughters-in-law, 
that she might return from the country of Moab; 
for she had heard in the country of Moab, how that 
the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread. 

7. Wherefore she went forth out of the place 
where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with 
her; and they went on the way to return unto the 
land of Judah. 

8. And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in- 
law, Go, return each to her mother's house ; the Lord 
deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, 
and with me. 

9. The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, 
each of you, in the house of her husband. Then 
she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, 
and wept. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


79 


10. And they said unto her, Surely we will re- 
turn with thee unto thy people. 

11. And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters, 
why will ye go with me? Are there yet any more 
sons in my womb that they may be your husbands? 

12. Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for 
I ami too old to have an husband. If I should say, 
I have hope, if I should have an husband also 
tonight, and should also bear sons; 

13. Would ye tarry for them till they were 
grown ? Would ye stay for them from having hus- 
bands? Nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much, 
for your sakes, that the hand of the Lord is gone 
out against me. 

14'. And they lifted up thejir voice, and wept 
again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but 
Ruth clave unto her. 

15. And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is 
gone back unto her people, and unto her gods; re- 
turn thou after thy sister-in-law. 

16. And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, 
or to return from following after thee; for whither 
thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I 
will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy 
God my God : 

17. Where thou diest will I die, and there will 
I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, 
if ought but death part thee and me. 

18. When she saw that she was steadfastly 
minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto 
her. 


80 


GREATEST MISSIONARY LESSON 


19. So they two went until they came to Bethle- 
hem. And it came to pass, when they were come to 
Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, 
and they said, Is this Naomi? 

20. And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, 
call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very 
bitterly with me. 

21. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought 
me home again empty : why then call ye me Naomi, 
seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the 
Almighty hath afflicted me? 

22. So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moab-it- 
ess, her daughter-in-law, with her, which returned 
out of the country of Moab : and they came to Beth- 
lehem in the beginning of barley harvest. 

Here we have mentioned two countries: Judea, 
inhabited by the Israelites, clinging on as best they 
could to the true and living God; Moab, inhabited 
by the descendents of Moab, a son of Lot, a heathen 
people, worshipers of idols. We have here a family, 
Elimelech, with his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, 
Mahlon and Chilion, because of drouthy conditions 
in Judea, emigrating to Moab. That soon after 
reaching Moab, the father, Elimelech, dies, and 
Naomi is bereft of her husband. That the two 
sons, Mahlon and Chilion, take wives of the Moabite 
families. The name of the one was Ruth, the name 
of the other was Orpah. That they abode in that 
country a space of ten years, during which time 
the two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, both died. We 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


81 


are not told of what disease these three husbands 
died, but from the names they bore, and other 
circumstances, it is evident that they died of what 
we know today, as the Great White plague, Tubercu- 
losis. But we do know, that whatever the 
disease, or the length of suffering, these two young 
wives, though from heathen families, remained true 
and faithful to their dying loved ones, and to their 
mother-in-law; that through all those bitter years, 
uncomplainingly, they did their duty, without a 
falter. 

Naomi, now being bereft of her husband and 
of both of her sons, and having heard that the Lord 
had blessed her people in Judea with bountiful 
harvests, decides to return to her native land. 

While it is clearly evident that Naomi loved her 
daughters-in-law, and craved their company, there 
is no evidence that she, in any way, insisted on their 
going to Judea with her, but from some cause, 
possibly the bountiful harvests, or the prospects 
of living with a better people, they both decide to 
make the change ; to leave their native country. 

Preparations are made for the journey. We 
see them as they come together for the last night 
they are to spend together on this earth, in the 
little hut that has been their home. They join 
their voices together in song, and in praise to God, 
that though the years have been bitter indeed, they 
have the sweet assurance that time and eternity 
will make all things right. They spend the night. 


82 


GREATEST MISSIONARY LESSON 


Morning dawns, they are ready for the journey. 
With their little bundles of bedding of sheepskins, 
goat hides or whatever it might be, they walk out 
the dooor, turn and take a last look at the little 
shack, that has sheltered them from: the heat and 
the cold through all those bitter years. They turn 
their faces towards Judea, and hit the trail. 

Now in this little company of women, just three, 
there exists two different conditions of mind. Naomi, 
possibly taking the lead, has an aching heart; she 
loves her daughters-in-law and hates to leave them, 
but in her mind she believes they are making a 
mistake. She believes that it is their duty to re- 
main there with their people, and take care of their 
mother. She believes it is her duty to turn them 
back. Her heart is aching. 

How different with the two precious ones trudg- 
ing along behind her. Their hearts are just bubbling 
over with joy. They have their backs turned upon 
those idols, and that heathen people. Their faces 
turned towards waving harvest fields, and a better 
country. 

Naomi's heart is bleeding, but the duty must be 
performed. She turns upon them, and it comes 
like lightning from a clear sky, as she says: Go, 
turn ye, each of you to your mother’s house; and 
she prays that sweetest of prayers: The Lord deal 
kindly with you, as you have dealt kindly with the 
dead, and with me. The Lord grant you that ye may 
find rest, each of you, in the house of her husband. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


83 


She kisses them. They lift up their voice and weep. 

They say : No, surely, we will go with you to your 
people. They trudge along, possibly till the noon 
hour. No more laughter. Three hearts are aching 
now. 

Naomi, believing it is the duty of her daughters- 
in-law to remain in Moab, and knowing the dis- 
position of women of that day and time, that their 
hearts' desire is to be a mother; a little son or 
daughter, to kiss their lips and call them mother is 
their highest ambition. She explains the laws of 
Judea, that the law in that country forbids the 
marrying or inter-marrying with heathen people* 
and she explains to them that if they go on to Judea, 
they can never hope to be a mother, unless as a 
concubine or slave wife. Then she says: Turn ye, 
go back. They lift up their voice and weep again. Ah, 
hallowed ground. There are places on this earth 
made hallowed by the blood of men. But here in 
Moab land is a hallowed spot made sacred by the 
bitter tears of women. 

In our mind we see them. One of them, Orpah, 
stands up. She takes a long look up that trail to- 
wards Judea, at the end of the trail she sees the 
waving wheat fields, and the barley fields, and that 
splendid people, serving the true and the living 
God. How can she give it up? How can she turn? 
Behind her she sees that heathen people, those false 
gods. How can she face that land of destitution? 


84 GREATEST MISSIONARY LESSON 

Destitute of everything high and ennobling. She 
reasons this way. Now I can return to my people, 
I can tell them to forsake those false idols, and serve 
the true and living God, Naomi's God, and then we 
will have plenty, and mother's there, she needs my 
care, I’m going back. She steps over to her mother- 
in-law. That precious one that has been her guid- 
ing star through all those bitter years. She kisses 
her. Good bye, precious mother, good bye, I'm 
going back. She steps over to her sister-in-law. 
That one who has been her playmate from hefr 
childhood days. That has toiled beside her in the 
little barley patch. That has helped her search for 
the wild berries, and dig the wild roots to sustain 
the lives of those dying loved ones; that one that 
has stood beside her, when the death angel hovered 
over them, she kisses her, good bye, sweet sister, 
good bye, I'm going back. 

We see her as she places her little bundle of 
bedding on her shoulder. She turns her back on 
a land of plenty, and a better people; her face to- 
ward a land of heathens and false gods. She hits 
the trail alone, and 1 the book is closed. 

Ruth cleaves to her mother-in-law. How can she 
give it up? How can she turn? Naomi regains 
her composure, possibly again reminds Ruth of her 
mother, that she may get down sick in her old hut, 
and lie there pleading for a drop of water, with 
none to hear her. Or that she may be out there 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


85 


half blind, picking up sticks with which to cook a 
morsel of food, and some wild beast pounce upon 
her and destroy her. Then as a last resort she 
shakes her, saying: Look Ruth, behold thy sister- 
in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods, 
return thou after thy sister-in-law. Were ever 
hearts tried in a fiery furnace like these? 

We see that precious woman; she stands up. 
She turns her back towards Moab land, and with 
heart bleeding and tears streaming, with clinched 
fist, she points back that way; and in words that 
mean exactly this, she says : That god is nothing to 
me; that people is nothing to me; that mother is 
nothing to me; Fm going on. 

Naomi leaves off entreating her. Now right 
here the infidel takes a tumble. The infidel will 
tell you that Ruth got up and deserted her people, 
and forsook her mother, and went off with that 
foreign woman to a land where there was plenty 
to eat, and gayer society. They will tell you that 
if there was anything to the religion of your Lord 
and your Jesus, and Ruth had any of that religion, 
it was her duty to stay there in Moab, and teach that 
religion to her people, and take care of her mother. 
But the infidel doesn't understand. There was a call 
there, and I will press this further and say, that 
had Ruth known that her mother would get down 
sick in that old hut of hers, and lie there begging 
and pleading for a drop of water with none to hear ; 
and lie there until she got so weak she could not 


86 


GREATEST MISSIONARY LESSON 


defend herself, and that the rats would play over 
her mother's face, eat off her nose, gouge out and 
gulp down her eyeballs, while her mother lay there 
conscious of what was going on ; or had Ruth known 
that her precious mother, who went down in suf- 
fering, and fought the death angel that she might 
live, would !be out there half blind, picking up 
sticks with which to cook a morsel of food, and 
that some wild beast would pounce upon her, drag 
her down and eat the skin and gristles from her 
bones, and that the wolves, and jackals, and the 
hyenas, would howl, and yelp, and snarl, over her 
mother’s carcass, she would have gone on and on, 
on and on. You say: What on earth do I mean? 
I will ask you a question. What did Jesus mean 
when he said : He that will not forsake his father 
and his mother, his wife, his children, his houses 
and lands, for my sake, is not worthy of me? What 
did Jesus mean? Were there any provisos, that 
there was no sickness or death, jackals or hyenas? 
None whatever, God was first, and he demands that 
he remain first. Ruth heard that call and she 
was going on. Not so with the other precious 
woman. God did not need but one woman to be the 
mother of his Son, and he called but one, and had 
Orpah left her people and her mother in that des- 
titute condition, to cast her lot with a better people, 
and to have better society, she would not be fit 
to be the mother of a roving band of thieving 
gypsies. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


87 


Go with me, please, back to this precious woman. 
The book is closed ’tis true, but in our mind we see 
her, as with her little bundle of bedding on her 
shoulder, hitting the trail alone, as step by step 
she clips off the distance, until at last, perhaps at 
nightfall, she reaches the little hut, where the night 
before there were three to join their voices together 
in song and in prayer; now one lone woman. She 
enters the hut, spreads out her little roll of bedding ; 
she eats her little morsel of food, barley cakes, per- 
haps wild berries she has picked along the way. She 
then gets down on her knees, lifts her face toward 
Heaven, and goes in search of her God. You tell 
me she had any trouble in finding her God, there 
alone in her little hut that night? My friends if 
you and I could always find our God as easily as that 
sweet woman found her God that night in Moab 
land, we would be happy indeed. She found him 
alright. 

But go again with me to the other precious woman. 
The book is open. The story tells us how she went 
on and on with her mother-in-law, around the salt 
sands of that old Dead Sea, until at last, worn and 
weary, they come to Bethlehem Judea. Of how the 
whole city was moved to tears about them. Of 
how she got permission from her mother-in-law to 
work in the barley harvest. Of how she toiled all 
day long, with just a little time off in the house, 
gathering up the scattering heads of barley left by 
the reapers. Of how at evening time she beat out 


88 GREATEST MISSIONARY LESSON 

what she had gathered, and had almost a bushel 
of barley. Of how she laid it upon her shoulder, 
carried it into the city and divided it with her 
mother-in-law. Of how she toiled on day after 
day till the barley harevst was over. Of how she 
hit the wheat harvest, and toiled on in the blister- 
ing sun, browned and tanned, until the wheat har- 
vest is ended, and of how the most unexpected 
happened. Instead of its being a violation of the 
law of the land, in this particular case, the law 
sanctioned it, really demanded it; and she became 
the wife of Boaz, a mighty man of wealth. 

Now, has not God rewarded her in full for all 
those bitter years? A man of health, a man of 
wealth, and as is clearly proven by the remaining 
chapters of this beautiful and romantic story, a man 
of the very highest type of character. Has not God 
done all on earth for her that could be done? Wait a 
minute before you say, yes. 

We see her some clear Sabbath morning; she 
takes that gallant husband by the arm, they walk 
off up towards the place of worship; she looks out 
over the surrounding country; she sees them com- 
ing from every direction to the place of worship. 
Oh, what a gladsome sight, to see people coming 
from every direction to the house of the Lord. What 
a gladness, then a sadness; her heart sinks within 
her. She thinks of her people in Moab land. How 
can she remain there in all that splendor, and her 
people in Moab, in darkness dying? What a sad- 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


89 


ness, then a gladness; a thrill of joy goes through 
her heart. Sister-in-law is there. Yes, sweet 
woman, go on your way, sing and pray and be happy ; 
Orpah will start the home fires burning. Again 
we see her. It is meal time, the table is spread: 
and, oh, what a magnificent menu; there are the 
wheat muffins, the barley cakes; the milk and 
the butter and the honey, and the vegetables. What 
a bountiful spread. She looks over the menu; her 
mind goes back to the ten weary years in Moab, 
when they toiled in the barley patch, searched for 
the wild roots, and the berries, to sustain the life 
of those dying loved ones. What a joyful contrast. 
What a gladness, then a sadness; she thinks of 
her mother. How can she eat, how can she drink, 
and her mother in Moab starving? What a sadness, 
then a gladness. Sister-in-law is there. Yes, sweet 
womjan, eat your dinner and be happy; Orpah will 
keep the home fires burning. Tell me that God in 
his infinite wisdom, did not know what he was doing, 
when he called these two sweet heathen maidens to 
their respective places of duty. And just as surely 
as Ruth was called to turn her back upon her father 
and her mother, and go to a people she knew not 
of before, to ultimately become the mother of the 
Lord; just that sure Orpah was called to turn her 
back upon a land of plenty and better society to be- 
come the mother of men, and in my heart I believe 
that could many of the great and illustrious Gentiles 


90 


GREATEST MISSIONARY LESSON 


of the world, trace their lineage back, they could 
trace it to this precious woman who stood the test in 
Moab land. 

But, says one: Isn’t it a fact that the people of 
Moab, and the children of Israel, long after this, 
were engaged in a bloody conflict with each other? 
Yes, and isn’t it a fact that the sons of the North- 
land and the sons of the Southland, of our own be- 
loved country, were engaged in four long years of 
bloody conflict with each other? And now either the 
sons of the Northland or the sons of the Southland 
would shed every drop of blood in their body before 
they would see the other crushed by an invading foe. 

And isn’t; it a fact that the Gentiles, the descend- 
ants of these Moab people, would give every drop 
of their blood in defense of liberty, and world free- 
dom? And isn’t it a fact that the Jew, the descend- 
ants of these same Israelites, would stand beside 
their Gentile brothers, in defense of this same blessed 
cause, and fight to the death, fight to the finish? 
Let the shell-torn trees of the Argonne Forest, and 
the blood-stained sands of the battlefield of Chateau 
Thiery, speak forth the answer. 

Once asked the question : On what grounds do you 
base your opinion that Orpah ever amounted to 
anything after she went back to her gods? My 
answer : I base it on three scripture statements, and 
one supposition. First, that Naomi, grayed for 5 
Orpah, that she might find rest in the house of 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


91 


a husband. Second, that Naomi was a righteous 
person. Third, that God has promised to hear and 
answer the prayers of the righteous, and the sup- 
position is, that God will do what he has promised 
to do. 

And now I will ask you a few questions. Why 
did David, when being persecuted by Saul, take his 
family to Moab for safety, while he fled away to 
the mountains and caves from Saul? He carried 
them over the identical trail where his grand-mother 
Ruth and his aunt Orpah, shed those bitter tears 
that day. Why did Isaiah in later years, in prophesy- 
ing of the destruction of all those wicked nations, 
say that the cry of the children of Moab would be 
heard, and that a remnant of them would be spared ? 
Why did Isaiah say that Zoar of Moab should be a 
city of refuge for the oppressed ? Why did Zechariah, 
when crying out for the Lord, say: Save my little 
ones, Moab; save my little ones? Please answer 
this one. Why is it that of all those wicked nations 
that walked the earth that day, that the children 
of Israel and the people of Moab are the only two 
nations that have a promise for the latter day? 
These are the only two nations that were living that 
day, that we know positively, that their descend- 
ants are on earth this day, and will be till Jesus 
comes again. Can there be a reason? Yes, it is 
this: The bitter tears, the precious prayers, the 

firm decisions of those sweet precious women in 


92 


GREATEST MISSIONARY LESSON 


Moab land that day shaped the destiny of this old 
world for time and eternity. It is too plain, it 
is too plain to be misunderstood. 

Ruth is not the only precious woman who has 
turned her back upon her father and her mother, 
and gone to a land she knew not of before. And 
Orpah is not the only precious woman who has 
turned her back upon a land of plenty, a better 
people, and a better society, and faced a land of 
heathens and idols, and a land of destitution. But 
considering the surroundings and. 1 the (conditions 
under which these two precious women answered 
and obeyed the call to the service of their Lord, 
we do not hesitate to pronounce this the World's 
Greatest Missionary Lesson. 

The children of Ammon, the younger son of Lot, a brother 
to Moab have the promise; also, the descendants of Elam 
the eldest son of Shem, also, Adam, and Job, and perhaps 
other individuals, have the promise of the latter day. But 
these were not nations, as were the Moabites, and the Israel- 
ites. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


93 


WOMAN’S WORLD-WIDE WORK 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures. 

Copyrighted 1922, by the author. 

Lesson X. 

There have been some scenes or occurrences in 
the past, with which woman has been connected, 
that I would like to have seen. 

I would like to have seen Eve, as she took that 
gallant husband by the arm, as she walked out of 
the gate and turned to take a last longing look at 
that beautiful garden of Eden. 

I would like to have seen Eve, as she stood over 
that grave, the first grave dug on this earth, follow- 
ing the first murder ever committed, as she took her 
last look on the face of her darling son. 

I would like to take a glimpse through that one 
hundred and twenty years that Noah was hammer- 
ing away, building the ark, just to see what part 
woman was taking in the affairs of the world at 
that time. 

I would like to have seen Hannah, when she 
brought her darling child, Samuel, at one year of 


94 


WOMAN’S WORK 


age, down to Shiloh, and placed him in the sanc- 
tuary, and gave him to the Lord, as she kissed him 
good bye, to return to her home. 

I would like to have seen Deborah as she said: 
Up, Barak, up. 

I would like to have seen Ruth and Naomi, as 
they wended their way around the salt sands of 
the old Dead Sea, on their way to Bethlehem Judea. 

I would like to have seen those two women, when 
Solomon said: Give the live baby to this woman, 
she is its mother. 

I would like to have seen that little group of 
women, as they counted out the change to pay for 
the precious ointment, and spices, to anoint the body 
of their crucified Lord. 

I would like to have seen Mary Magdalene, the 
next moment after Jesus spoke her name, Mary. 

These are thoughts of the past. They cannot be 
realized. Today, I would like to take a glimpse 
through all heathen countries, from Greenland’s icy 
mountains to Africa’s sunny fountains; from Si- 
beria’s frozen lands to India’s coral strands; just to 
see what part woman is taking in the affairs of 
those deluded people. 

This cannot be. We must be content with draw- 
ing on our imagination as to the conditions prevail- 
ing in those heathen lands. 

As to the number of those people in darkness 
dying; we know that there are millions, millions, 
millions of them, and it is with a shudder that we 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


95 


think of the enormous task of the Christian people 
to bring them into the kingdom of the Master, our 
task before us. But, says one : We are but a drop in 
the bucket. Yes, we are but a drop in the bucket. 
But remember, every drop in the bucket is just as 
valuable as any other drop in the bucket. It takes 
all the drops to fill the bucket. Are we occupying 
our place in this great plan of salvation ? 

I remember, once, standing on a bridge, a great 
and colossal structure. It had required years in 
the building, and the cost ran into the millions. I 
stood out on the center of that bridge, and looked 
down on that mighty river, as its muddy waves 
rolled onward toward the sea, a sublime spectacle. 
On the river were many boats and ships going up 
and going down; some of them with their cargo, to 
say nothing of the precious lives, were worth hun- 
dreds of thousands of dollars, passing in perfect 
safety beneath that colossal structure. I looked, 
and I saw coming out of the solid banks over there, 
some giant cables; great steel ropes as they were, 
coming out of the solid banks, up over the piers, 
and under the spans of the bridge, holding the 
structure there in perfect position. What an 
enormous weight those cables were sustaining. I 
looked, and I saw that those cables were composed 
of fine wires, small wires, thousands of them bundled 
together formed the cable. Each wire in its place, 
each wire sustaining its share of the burden. I 
reasoned this way. Now, am I, as an individual. 


96 


WOMAN’S WORK 


helping to sustain the burden of God’s great struc- 
ture, as each small wire is doing? Am I in my place, 
and doing my duty? We might each ask ourselves 
the question. Though we be small indeed, are we 
bearing up our part of the structure? Doubtless, 
in that great cable there were some defective, or 
broken wires, of no value, sustaining no part of 
the burden, only adding weight for other wires to 
carry. Can it be true that among our number, 
there are defective broken ones, sustaining no part 
of God’s great structure; only adding weight for 
others to carry? 

While thinking over this, two parables have 
come into my mind. Now, I always delighted in 
studying the parables. So exact, so precise in their 
teaching. Giving no latitude, asking no latitude. 
The parable of the lost sheep, and the parable of the 
lost piece of silver. Representing, as they do, the 
two conditions of lost humanity. The lost sheep 
representing the sinner, though the door of the fold 
stands open wide, and the dear shepherd is call- 
ing, tenderly calling; he drifts out into the bleak 
mountains of sin. Btit the other parable, the lost 
piece of silver, appeals so much to me. Represent- 
ing that portion of lost humanity ; lost, but not be- 
cause of their own actions; such as the heathens 
and cannibals. Lost, dead to their surroundings, 
dead to their value, with no knowledge of their 
condition, as the lost piece of silver. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


97 


This, probably the shortest parable, is to my 
mind the sweetest parable that Jesus uttered. This 
is a woman’s parable. It was woman that lost the 
piece of silver to begin on. It was her fault, she 
says so. She says : The piece of silver which I had 
lost ; not, the piece of silver that got lost, or the piece 
of silver that somebody else had lost, but the piece 
of silver which I had lost. She takes the blame 
upon her own shoulders. It was woman that was 
sweeping when Jesus spoke this precious parable. 

It is woman that is sweeping today; women as 
teachers, women as missionaries to foreign lands. 
Women workers at home and abroad. They are 
sweeping, sweeping. They are sweeping old Mex- 
ico. They are sweeping China. They are sweep- 
ing India. They are sweeping the South Sea Is- 
lands. They are sweeping darkest Africa. They are 
sweeping the whole house, sweeping the silver into 
the kingdom. 

This parable says the kingdom of heaven is like 
unto a woman, which, having ten pieces of silver, 
lost one of the pieces. Thank heaven she did not 
lose the other nine. She did not lose her virtue. 
She did not lose her modesty. She did not lose her 
intelligence. She did not lose her motherly love, 
nor the others. But she did lose one piece of her 
silver. She lights a candle. She sweeps the house. 
She seeks diligently, till she finds the piece of 
silver which she had lost. 


98 


WOMAN’S WORK 


There is another parable, not mentioned here, that 
is like unto a woman, which having ten pieces of 
silver, lost one of the pieces. She did not light a 
candle. She did not sweep the house. She did 
not seek diligently. She did not find the piece of 
silver which she had lost. She did not rejoice with 
her friends and neighbors. For which kingdom, 
sisters, do you bend your efforts? 

We come now to the most beautiful part of this 
sweet little parable of two verses. There comes a 
time when the sweeping ceases. There comes a time 
when the seeking is ended. You lift up your hands 
with joy and cry out: Here friends, here neighbors, 
come and rejoice with me, for I have found the 
piece of silver which I had lost. 

I thank you and may God bless you. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


99 


THE GREATEST MALE CHARACTER 
MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures . 

Co'pxjrighted 1922, by the Author . 

Lesson XI. 

Somewhere in my rounds, I have heard the adage : 
Every mother crow thinks her baby crow is the 
blackest. I do not know that this adage is true; 
or that the crow even has the power to think, but 
this is supposed to have a parallel in the human 
family, wthich is: Every dear mother thinks her 
little son is the brightest. Now, I do not know 
that this is true, that all mothers think that way. 
If they do, that is their privilege. We live in a 
free country, and they have a right to think as 
they please. But out of all this, there has come 
a sequel. A report has gone out, that Hannah once 
caused a ripple in Heaven by making the assertion 
that her son Samuel was the greatest and best of 
men. 


100 


GREATEST MALE CHARACTER 


I do not know that this is true, that Hannah 
ever made the assertion. To tell the truth about it, 
I don’t believe she did. But for argument’s sake, 
we will grant that she did make the boast, and 
placed her son Samuel above all other men. If she 
did, it is her privilege; and if other mothers dis- 
believe it, or if we doubt it, it is our privilege to 
get down the records and disprove it. 

So with Samuel placed at the head of the class, 
like little boys in school, we will now proceed to 
investigate the records, to see if there is any other 
Bible character greater than he ; any that can eclipse 
him, or as the little boys used to say in school, slip 
him off the headmark. 

Before going into the discussion, it is well we 
understand what is a great character. A great 
character is made up of two elements: purity and 
works. As an example, there is a little child in her 
mother’s bosom. She is purity. A pure character. 
But she is not a great character, for she has not yet 
had opportunity to accomplish anything to make 
her a great character. Thus we see that in order to 
be a great character, one must have both purity 
and works; of these two elements, purity is the 
greater. 

With this understanding of the meaning of a great 
character, we might now proceed to investigate some 
of the great Bible characters. First, it will be 
necessary to investigate Samuel’s claim as to a great 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


101 


character. As to Samuel's purity we will read the 
first five Verses of the twelfth chapter of the first 
book of Samuel, which reads as follows : 

1. And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, 1 
have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said 
unto me, and have made a king over you. 

2. And now, behold, the king walketh before 
you : and I am old and grayheaded ; and behold, my 
sons are with you; and I have walked before you 
from my childhood unto this day. 

3. Behold, here I am : witness against me before 
the Lord, and before his anointed : whose ox have I 
taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I 
defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose 
hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes 
therewith? and I will restore it you. 

4. And they said. Thou hast not defrauded us, 
nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of 
any man's hand. 

5. And he said unto them, The Lord is witness 
against you, and his anointed is witness this day, 
that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they 
answered, He is witness. 

Thus we see that Samuel was purity, his record 
white as snow, and attested to by those who had 
Walked with him from childhood, and by the 
anointed king. By all who knew him, and by the 
God of Heaven, a record white as snow. 

As to Samuel's works: We find that his mother 
took him at weaning time, at one year old, down to 
Shiloh, placed him in the sanctuary, gave him to the 
Lord, and went away and left him there. This she 
did in compliance with a vow she had made the Lord. 


102 GREATEST MALE CHARACTER 

We further find from the records that Samuel 
devoted his entire life to the service of the Lord. 
As a great character, we find him as to purity; a 
record white as snow. As to works; from the 
cradle to the grave. 

Well, it seems this wjould be hard to beat, but 
says one : Samuel owes it to his mother. His mother 
is entitled to the credit. Samuel was a mother-made 
man. 

Now while it is our aim, if possible, to find some 
one who can eclipse Samuel, we will not take this 
undue advantage of him. It is true, his mother 
prayed for him, and she took him down to Shiloh 
and gave him to the Lord, and she left him there. 
At the end of the year, she made him a pretty 
little new coat, took it down to him at Shiloh. He 
would try it on and it would just fit. He wpuld 
bounce around, hop up in his mother’s lap, and kiss 
the lips that prayed for him. She would leave him 
again, and at the end of another year, another little 
new coat, just a little larger. She would take it 
down to him at Shiloh and it would just fit; and the 
third year another new coat, and the fourth, and 
each year another new coat, until the precious 
mother passed over the way. 

Thus we see that Samuel was permitted to be 
wlith his precious mother, to hear her council and 
advice, but a few hours each year. Ah! Samuel, 
how did you grow up and develop into that mag- 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


103 


nificent manly character, with having seen your 
precious mother and having her council and advice 
but once a year, when we have around us scores 
and scores of men and boys who grow up right 
under their mother’s cares and prayers, day after 
day, and year after year, and yet develop into little 
better than monkeys. How did you do it, Samuel? 
No, Samuel was not a mother-made man. He 
was a mother-helped man. I like a mother-helped 
man. If there is any one on this earth that can 
beat a mother-helped man, it is a self-helped man, 
one who has done things without a mother. 

With this understanding of Samuel as a great 
character, we might now proceed to investigate 
other great Bible characters, to see if there is one 
who can eclipse him. 

As it may be necessary to notice a number of 
characters we will go back, back to Adam, the first 
man. 

Ah! Adam, we all know what is the trouble 
with you; you let your wife take you by the nose, 
and lead you around as she pleases. Nothing to you. 

Methusaleh, the oldest man, all it says of you is, 
that you were born, lived nine hundred and sixty 
nine years; begat sons and daughters and died, 
about up to the average. 

Noah, dear old father Noah. You wprked one 
hundred and twenty years in the tar and the pitch, 


104 


GREATEST MALE CHARACTER 


to build the ark, to save the human race from ex- 
tinction, and kept the Devil from losing his job, but 
after all Noah, you went and got drunk. Bah! 

Saul of old, the tallest man. Head and shoulders 
above everybody else, in size, but pshaw! 

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Dear old patriarchs. 
What’s the record? 

Well, if here isn’t the first Ananias club ever 
organized, so help me Cynda. Liars, The last one of 
you has lied, and it has leaked out on you, and we’ll 
know it down to the thousandth generation. Can’t 
use you. 

Joseph, precious lad, your brothers sold you to 
the Arabs, and you bawled like a calf, but you soon 
had them and your dear old father too, bawling like 
grown steers. Ah! Joseph, this wasn’t doing good 
for evil, and that is one of the commandments. I 
see here Joseph, where I think you made a mistake. 
You told that woman the reason you would not do 
her bidding, w|as that her husband was putting un- 
limited confidence in you, and you would not betray 
his confidence. That is splendid Joseph, splendid, 
and I want to say right here, that an individual who 
would betray a friend’s confidence, under such con- 
ditions, is not fit to be cut up into small pieces and 
put into the slop for the hog trough. Why, he 
would give the hogs the cholera. Joseph, you could 
have told Mrs. Potiphar, that there was an all-see- 
ing God in Heaven that knows all things, and that 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


105 


He was putting unlimited confidence in you, and you 
would not betray His confidence. That would have 
covered all sides of the question, and I think wiould 
have ended the matter. I'll have to pass you. 

Moses, the meekest man, you got awful, awful 
angry, Moses. You didn't burst yourself, but you 
sure did burst those old stone tablets. I'll have to 
pass you. 

Samson, the stoutest man, the lion wasn’t in 
your way, but you let a pretty little woman knock 
your trotters for you. I can’t use you. 

David, sweet singer of Israel, you got up the first 
song book ever published, and one that has stood 
the test of ages, and they tell me, you wrote some of 
the very best of those songs yourself. What's the 
record? Uriah! Front of the battle. Dying baby. 
Ah! David. Did you do this? And with all those 
blessings around you? The record says you did. 
Well, no wonder your old knees smote together like 
clapboards, when Nathan poked his finger under 
your nose, and said: Thou art the man. No 
wonder those heathen nations flogged you up one 
side and down the other, all your life long, till you 
couldn't get time to build the temple. Well, they 
wouldn't have wanted to worship in a church house 
you built, anyway. No wonder your own dear sons 
chased you around over the mountains and into the 
caves, trying to kill you. Chips off the same old 
block. No wonder your three hundred wives 


106 


GREATEST MALE CHARACTER 


snatched you bald headed, and led you a cat’s life. 
I glory in their spunk. I see here David, it says 
away on down here in Christ’s time, you were not yet 
ascended into the Heavens ; and sometimes I wonder 
if they had have let you in any sooner, that the 
angels would have gone on a strike. Ah! David, 
you have given great occasion for the enemies of 
the Lord to blaspheme. 

Solomon, the wisest man that ever was, or ever 
will be. Now that ever-will-be part of it, was about 
the hardest of all for me to swallow]. That was 
harder to swallow than the fish story. But Solomon, 
I believe you have done some things that warrant the 
conclusion. When those two women had the lawsuit 
about the two little babies ; they both looked you 
right square in the eyes, and without a wink, they 
swore they were the mother of the little live baby, 
and that they had given it birth. They both looked 
you right square in the eyes and without a blink, 
they swore that they were not the mother of the 
little dead baby, and that they had not given it birth. 
Solomon, you had the wisdom to settle it. Judges 
can’t go it that way this day and time. There would 
be a lot of them swearing to the little dead baby. 
But Solomon, you have done one thing that lays 
that in the shade. They tell me that you had one 
thousand wives. Now if you had wisdom to fool 
one thousand women and make them think you were 
something, when you weren’t, and we poor scrubs 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


107 


down here this day and time, have a hard time a 
fooling one of them; I think you take the ribbon. 
No, Solomon, there will never be another man on 
this earth, with wisdom enough to fool a thousand 
of them, but it will take something besides wisdom 
and wives, to knock old Samuel’s trotters. 

Job, the most patient man, you gave Satan the 
hardest jolt he ever got since he bumped this old 
planet. If Satan had known how that business was 
going to terminate, he would not have done that 
for a thousand souls. No not for ten thousand souls 
or more. A splendid piece of work Job, and the 
very first verse of the record says, that you were a 
perfect man. A perfect man with such a splendid 
piece of work. But the records do not mention 
other work. Samuel’s work was from the cradle to 
the grave. I am afraid to risk you at the head of 
the class; I’ll place you third. 

Daniel, you patted the lion on the head like a baby 
would a kitten; and you went up against the old 
king himself. But Daniel, you did one thing I don’t 
admire. You let that old heathen king Belshazzar 
dress you up in scarlet, and make you third ruler in 
his old rotten kingdom, and you sat up there all 
diked up, while your poor kinfolks were out there 
starving. A weak place, Daniel. But after all not 
so bad ; for isn’t it a fact that we all have the same 
weakness for office and fine clothing? I’ll place you 
fourth. 


108 


GREATEST MALE CHARACTER 


Enoch and Elijah, records white as snow. Just 
what I’m hunting. But Samuel stuck to his job to 
his dying day, you went home to walk in glory. I 
can't use you. 

Prophets, prophets, both majors and minors; rec- 
ords white as snow, but a little short of works. I'll 
have to pass you. We cross over the line. 

John the Baptist, record white as snow; but like 
the little babe, called from its mother's bosom, to 
walk with God in Heaven, you never had opportunity 
to prove your greatness. You lost your head in the 
first great battle. 

Jesus knew the hearts of men ; with his associates 
I'll find him. 

Peter, what’s the record. Ah! You denied your 
Lord and Master, and cursed before a woman, you 
wouldn’t be knee high to old Samuel. 

Andrew, you went out and found your brother, 
and led him to the Master. But that's no more than 
we all ought to do, and no more than thousands are 
doing. Hear them calling: 

O, weary brother with sin oppressed, 

Heaven’s my home, Heaven's my home. 

Come go with me and find sweet rest, 

Heaven's my home, Heaven's my home. 

Hear them calling. 

John the beloved, John the divine, oh, how the 
master loved you, and you loved him and leaned upon 
his bosom. But John, I see here from the records 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


109 


that you and your brother James, and your dear old 
mother, Salome Zebedee, were all into a compact, 
into a combine by which you wtould have Jesus, be- 
cause he was kinfolks to you, to appoint you to the 
high offices. Now, John, riding into office over the 
kinfolks route is just a little shade too dirty. I can't 
use you. 

Paul, the most eloquent man. How I wish I had 
time to speak of these splendid chapters you have 
written that we love to read and study so well; or 
to make mention of that splendid race you ran, 
wherein you lay aside the weights that did beset you, 
and ran with patience and won. Paul, I am hunt- 
ing purity. What’s the record? Ah! I see here that 
wihile that mob was beating* and pounding poor old 
Stephen around like a bunch of boys would beat and 
pound a rattlesnake; they had him knocked down, 
his legs broken, his ribs crushed, his jaws all knocked 
in, his teeth all knocked! out, his eyes burst out the 
sockets, hanging down on his cheeks all bloody, you 
stood by holding their coats, and hallowing Amen. 
You old scoundrel, you say yourself that you are not 
fit to be classed with the least of them; not fit to 
stand foot; not fit to stand in the class; because 
you persecuted the saints. 

Ah! You old sinners, don’t you hate to have your 
record read to this great crowd down here? Yes. 
and won’t we hate to have ours read to that great 
crowd up yonder? 


110 GREATEST MALE CHARACTER 

Who is next to bump old Samuel ? Martin Luther. 
Oh ! I’ve got to stick to Bible characters. Well, that 
suits me the better; for there’s where wle get both 
sides of the business. 

But I’m through. Whom did I miss? Whom did 
I overlook? 0 yes, Zaccheus, the littlest man. Well, 
Zaccheus, it says here that you invited a preacher 
home with you one day for dinner and made him 
some good promises. Now that is splendid, Zac- 
cheus; not every rich man would do that this day and 
time ; splendid ; but I’m afraid one dinner and some 
good promises wouldn’t knock old Samuel off the 
headmark. I’ll have to pass you. But where is he? 
Where is he? 

Yes, I remember once over in Galilee, Jesus got 
himself into trouble. Yes, into trouble. Well, it 
was like the little boy in school where I was teach- 
ing. I had a class up reciting, it was in the second 
reader I believe; and the lesson was about two little 
boys that had disobeyed their mother, gone down 
on the river, got into a boat, and out on the water, 
and the boat had turned over with them and the 
reading was this : And the boys were in the greatest 
danger of being drowned. The little fellow was read- 
ing it; hitting it along pretty well, And-the-boys- 
w|ere-in-the-greatest-greatest — I was praying for 
him but he went back, And-the-boys-were-in-the- 
greatest — tight. That was the way with Jesus. He 
had got into the greatest tight ; not by disobedience, 
however. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


111 


It came about in this way. He stood out there 
in the city early one morning, where everyone could 
hear him ; and called in a loud voice : Come unto me 
all ye that thirst; I am the light, I am the life, I 
am the bread. They all heard him, and came flock- 
ing around him, the men, women, and children; a 
great throng of people. He talked to them kindly ; 
and healed their diseases. But the throng was so 
great, that he could scarcely move ; so he whispered 
to the disciples that they would have to get on the 
boat and give them the slip. So he and his disciples 
worked their way down to the edge of the lake; 
stepped out on the boat and drifted away. They 
cut across the corner of the lake, toward a landing 
in a desert place oven there. But the people were 
watching him; and when they saw which way he 
was going, and knew where he would make the 
landing, they lit out, the Whole business of them, 
men, women, and children, around the edge of the 
lake, as hard as they could go ; some walking, some 
running, some riding on burros, and some riding 
on behind them; here they went, the whole push 
of them around the lake, and by the time Jesus and 
his disciples reached the landing, so the Bible says, 
there was a great multitude of people there to greet 
him. Why, if one of your dear pastors wlas to come 
out here to preach some Sunday morning, and 
should be greeted by such an enthusiastic crowd as 
that, they would be so overcome with joy, they 


112 


GREATEST MALE CHARACTER 


would have to be carried home on the stretchers. 
It was a great multitude. We are told there were 
five thousand men, besides women and! children. 
Now if they tallied out then, like they do this day 
and time at our Sunday schools, and prayer meet- 
ings, there must have been about a million. Jesus 
met them smiling, talked to them kindly, told them 
good Bible stories. I do not know what he talked 
to them about. It may have been about the chil- 
dren of Israel over there in Egypt, and how cruelly 
the Egyptians treated them. Or it may have been 
about the children of Israel over there in the wilder- 
ness, and how; cruelly they treated poor old Moses. 
Or it may have been about some of those precious 
sainted mothers. So many good things to talk 
about, that he kept talking, and they kept listening, 
and dinner time came, and a past dinner time, and 
you know how awful hungry a fellow can get about 
twelve — three P. M. on preaching day. He kept a 
talking, and the disciples were getting awful hungry. 
They worked their way around through the multi- 
tude to where he was; and nudged him off to one 
sid)9 and said: Here, it's a way past dinner time, 
and this is a desert place. Send the multitude away, 
that they may go get something to eat. Jesus says: 
I have not told them near all I wish to tell them; 
so many things yet to say to them ; you feed them, 
and we will have an evening service. They say: 
Only two hundred pence in the treasury. That 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


113 


wouldn't buy enough for them to taste it. Jesus says : 
Get out in the multitude and see what they have. 
Now, I do not know just how this happened, but I 
don't see how it could have happened much different 
from just about like this. Jesus says: Get out in 
the multitude and see what they have to start it 
with. Andrew and some more of them got out in 
the multitude ; Andrew gets up on a high place and 
calls out: Everybody here that has any dinner 
with you, hold up your hand. He looks all over the 
multitude; not a hand. A little boy over there under 
the shade of a bush, shaking his hand for dear life. 
Andrew doesn't see him. Just like we are this day 
and time, we look all over the big folks and never 
see the boy back there shaking his hand for dear 
life that's got more goods than the whole push of 
them. Andrew doesn't see him. He runs around 
there, he bumps up against a stout sister. Sister, 
did you bring any dinner with you ? No, I thought 
he said he had the bread. Andrew runs around 
there, he calls out: Anybody here got any dinner? 
About that time the lad pipes out : I've got my din- 
ner. Andrew sees him, he runs over there. What 
you got little man? Five cakes and two fishes. 
Andrew runs over to the Master and says: There 
isn't a thing in all this multitude, except a lad back 
there has five barley loaves and two little fishes. 
Jesus says : Get them and bring them hither. An- 
drew breaks back to the lad, and the grass isn't 


114 


GREATEST MALE CHARACTER 


growing under his feet either. He reaches out his 
hand. The master wants these, little man. The lad 
draws his basket back ; I won't give him my dinner. 
I wish I had time to tell you what I would guess 
happened between that big Jew and that little Jew 
in the next minute or tw]o; but I must skip right 
over to the last. Andrew is pleading with him to 
turn it over to the Master. It’s the only food. It's 
the only chance. No, little man, I can’t leave you 
half of; it. The master said bring it all hither. No, 
little man, I can’t leave you one of the cakes and one 
of the fishes. The Master said bring it all up there. 
But you see this multitude of people. They’re hun- 
gry, they’re starving. If you will let me take this 
up to the Master, he can make enough out of it to 
feed all this multitude all they can eat and you’ll 
have plenty. Just like these? Yes, just like them. 
And he’ll not forget me? No,, he’ll not forget you. 
The lad pushes his basket forward. Andrew stoops 
over to receive it. He takes Andrew a square look 
in the eyes; just like a banker wPuld a stranger, 
should he bob up at the pay window with a hundred 
thousand dollar check. Ah! Andrew, it’s a good 
thing you had eyes in your head that minute; or 
you would have missed your dinner that Sunday. 
And he’ll not forget me? No, he’ll not forget you. 
He pushes his basket forwlard. He turns it loose. 
His dinner’s gone. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


115 


But says one : How do you know that’s the way it 
happened ? I don’t know that’s the way it happened. 
But there are some things I do know. I know that 
Jesus of Nazareth is preaching there in a desert 
place to a multitude of dying people and that in 
order for him to go on with his discourse, and tell 
them other good things he has in store for them; 
it is necessary for that multitude to be fed. And 
I know that boy has all the food in that place that 
day. He has more than the five thousand men, the 
stout sister, and all the other sisters combined. But 
will he turn it over to the Master ? 

Now, I want each and every one of you to put 
yourself right square in that boy’s place just one 
minute. Suppose it was show day, and everybody 
was in town, and the strangers, and you had some 
little trinket in your hand your mother had given 
you ; or some little bite to eat ; and a stranger came 
running up to you and said : Here, the boss up there 
wants that; he’ll send you back two or three more 
like it directly. Would there be anything doing? 
No, sir. Will the boy give up his dinner? It de- 
pends upon the boy. They can’t take his dinner 
from him by force. Had Jesus and his disciples 
gone over there and pounced on to that boy to 
take his dinner by force; then that five thousand 
men, the stout sister, and all the other sisters, would 
have pounced onto them, and there would have been 
another war in Heaven, and Jesus and his disciples 


116 GREATEST MALE CHARACTER 

would have been kicked skyward. They can’t take 
it by force. Besides, Jesus says : My kingdom is a 
kingdom of love, and not a kingdom of force. And 
were he to extort one penny from any one by force, 
he would make himself a liar, and the whole business 
wtould burst like a bubble. 

Well, will the boy sell his little basket of food for 
money? Will he put a price oh it that will enable 
Jesus and his disciples to purchase it with that two 
hundred pence? Or will he part with his dinner 
for money at all? 

I remember once eating a little cake, not much 
larger than a silver dollar, that money would not 
have bought. Two tiny little hands, under the 
directions and instructions of a mother, had taken 
the flour, and the sugar, and the other things, and 
put them together, and made that little cake, and 
it was the first cake those tiny little hands had ever 
made ; and it had come a long ways to me in a letter ; 
and it vtes my birthday cake. There are things that 
would have bought that little cake, but it was not 
gold or its equivalent. 

Will the lad part with his food for money? 

What is going to happen there in that desert place 
that evening, depends upon that boy. Ah! says 
one: Jesus could make bread out of the stones there 
to feed that multitude. Well, he didn’t make bread 
of stones to feed himself with when he was hungry. 
He could raise up children fit to be Abraham’s chil- 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


117 


dren, out of the rocks around there; but whether 
he could provide food to feed a set of men that ought 
to provide food to feed themselves, is a different 
proposition. I leave that for others to prove. Ah ! 
says another : He could get along without that boy 
and that basket of grub alright. Yes, He could get 
along without that boy, and that basket of grub 
alright. He could get along without Peter, and his 
sermon on the day of pentecost alright. He could 
get along without Paul, and his defense before king 
Agrippa alright. He could get along without David, 
and his song book alright. But the fact in the case 
is : he didn't do it. It depends upon the boy. 

Another thing I know, is, that he did in some way 
turn it over to the Master. For it says : Jesus took 
the loaves and the fishes, both the fishes, and blessed 
them. He blessed them in his own hands not in 
the hands of the boy. 

Another thing I know, that presently, there were 
baskets, great baskets of food, going out over that 
multitude. I do not know where they got all those 
empty baskets to fill, but I know that they are now 
filled, and that multitude is fed to their hearts' con- 
tent, and Jesus is permitted to go on with his dis- 
course, and tell that multitude other good things he 
had in store for them. 

But I must hasten. I take the lad by the hand and 
say: Come here little man, I want to use you a 
minute. I lead him around to Where Samuel and the 


118 GREATEST MALE CHARACTER 

others are waiting. The judge is getting impatient, 
and Samuel thinks he’s got the head mark, and is 
feeling quite proud. But pride goes before a fall. 
I lead the lad around there, and I say: Here judge 
is a little man ; I don’t know his name, but his rec- 
ord is white as the driven snow, and see what he has 
done. The judge takes the record and reads. By 
one simple act of faith, in believing what the disci- 
ples told him of Jesus’ power, he has turned loose 
the last bite he had on earth to eat, and right at 
a time when he needed it most. By this simple act 
of faith, he has made it possible for Jesus to feed a 
multitude of hungry people in a desert land. By 
this simple act of faith, he has made it possible for 
the Son of God to preach another thrilling sermon 
to a multitude of dying people, and perhaps one soul 
led to salvation, which is worth more than all the 
world together. By this simple act of faith, he has 
made it possible for Jesus of Nazareth to prove and 
establish his reputation, that he was then, is now, 
and forevermore the bread. And he has done this 
of his own free w!ill and accord, without the help 
or the assistance, or the influence, of a mother. 

The judge finishes, he turns, and says: Samuel, 
you’re not knee high to that boy. So Samuel, I will 
slip you down a notch ; and place the little man that 
had the goods and delivered them, at the head of the 
class, and I challenge the world to move you. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


119 


Now friends, whatever may be the value or cor- 
rectness of this conclusion, there stands out before 
us two great and important lessons. First. As we 
have sketched, hurriedly through the history of 
these great and illustrious Bible characters ; we find 
that they had their weak places, as we have our 
weak places. We find here the careless, and the in- 
different man, the drinking man, the high temp- 
ered man, the lying and the deceitful man, the man 
with his blood so red it is rotten, the profane man, 
the unscrupulous office-seeker, the over-zealous man, 
the whole curriculum. They had their weak places 
as we have ours. Satan searched out those weak 
places, made inroads upon them, and damaged their 
influence, as he will damage ours. This word of ad- 
vice: Let us know our weak places, fortify them, 
and fight Satan to a finish. 

This other lesson, I hear some one say: I never 
*would have thought of the boy. That’s our trouble, 
friends, we never think of the boy. Though we have 
scores and scores of instances, where great and illus- 
trious men of our times, men who have done things, 
have been unnoticed, unthought of ragged urchins. 

This parting word. Think of the boy. Think of 
the boy. 

I thank you and may God bless you. 




BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


121 


THE LOST LESSON 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons And Lectures. 

Copyrighted 1922, by the Author . 

Lesson XII. 

Probably there are none of us, who do not delight 
in gazing upon any of the pictures, or paintings 
of the great artists. These are indeed thrilling, 
and soulstirring, but there is another kind of pic- 
ture, that, if possible, is more thrilling than these. 
It is the picture drawn upon the mind. A picture 
drawn in words. 

To my mind the greatest theme, or basis, for a 
word picture, or a picture drawn on the mind is 
this : the quaint little city of Bethlehem as it existed 
in the days of the Herods, as the setting. In this 
little city are gathered together from every quarter 
of the land, in obedience to the decree of the Em- 
peror those who must enroll their names and pay 
their taxes. In this great concourse of people we 
see a little family, two in number, a husband and 
wife, worn and weary from their long trip from 


122 


THE LOST LESSON 


Nazareth in Galilee. We see them as from place to 
place they wend their way in search of shelter from 
the winter’s cold. There is no room in the inn. 
They are forced to take shelter in the stalls where 
the oxen are fed. 

Here during the night, in this peculiar place, is 
born to this anxious husband and wife, a precious 
babe, a man child. 

But it is the purpose of this lecture to draw 
another picture, though not so thrilling, is fraught 
with interest to us all, and gives out a precious les- 
son to a peculiar class of people. 

Near the time of the occurrence of the important 
event just mentioned, about one hundred miles 
North of Jerusalem, in Galilee in the unnoticed lit- 
tle city of Magdala, there is born into this world 
another precious baby, not a man child but a sweet 
little daughter. 

Now, we know, absolutely nothing of this occur- 
rence, except that some precious mother went down 
in suffering, and fought the death angel, that her 
darling child might live. 

Just here it is a little difficult to proceed with our 
drawing. But in our mind we see a sweet little 
daughter, her name is Mary, as she plays around 
her mother’s knee. She hops in her mother’s lap, 
she put her arms around her mother’s neck. She 
kisses her lips, and calls her mother. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


123 


We see her as year after year, she grows in stat- 
ure, beauty and intelligence, until at last, blossom- 
ing into womanhood, a loving daughter, the pride 
and the joy of a devoted father and mother. 

Just here our picture changes from bright to 
darker scenes. Skulking there in that little city, as 
is customary in most all cities, are some devils. They 
have their eyes on that beautiful girl. They are 
watching her. By cunning devices, and pleasant 
promises, and wily intrigues, they gain entrance into 
that happy home. Perhaps over the protests of 
w|atchful, and praying parents, they weave the woe- 
ful web. 

Time passes. The once brilliant, and sparkling 
eye of that precious daughter, so accustomed to 
looking her mother squarely in the eyes, if we notice 
closely, we see the evasive glance, too plain to be 
mistaken. 

Just here our picture grows exceedingly dim; 
and as we revive it, the scene shifts to the more 
prosperous city of Capernaum. Just what length of 
time has elapsed, we do not know. And ’tis here, 
we again see our beautiful Mary. But no longer 
that evasive glance. Instead of that, there is the 
bold forward look, that smile that surpasses all un- 
derstanding. Even the stranger, as he passes by, 
gets the friendly tip. 

Just here in our picture we have a two fold scene ; 
a dual view. Followed by a mother’s love, or by a 


124 


THE LOST LESSON 


father’s prayer, or perhaps touched by a word from 
one who is teaching the way to eternal life, a heart 
is touched, a heart is broken. No longer the bold, 
smiling face ; but an aching, bleeding heart. 

The next scene in our picture, shifts to the home 
of a rich Pharisee, and Jesus of Nazareth is dining 
there. Behind him, and crouched at his feet, is a 
poor sin-sick mortal, with aching, bleeding heart, she 
begs and pleads for mercy. Braving the scoffs and 
the scorns of all around, with tears streaming down 
upon Jesus’ feet, she begs and pleads till Jesus says, 
Go thy way in peace, thy sins are forgiven thee. 
Ah! What a changed mortal, and how happy the 
change. 

But whither will she go? Where will we see her 
in our next picture? Who will receive her, or take 
her into their home? The rich Pharisee? Oh no. 
’Twas manner’s sake only, that kept him from or- 
dering her off his premises. Oh no, not he. 

Will hunger and privation, and the sneers of a 
cruel world, force her back upon the charity of those 
seven devils? God forbid. May Heaven help this 
poor outcast wreck of humanity. 

The next scene in our picture shifts to a little 
group of men, a dozen or more, led by one Jesus of 
Nazareth, as they plod their way over those Gali- 
lean hills. No home, no shelter, tired and weary, 
they go into camp. And ’tis here again we see our 
Mary as she ministers unto Jesus and to his disci- 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


125 


pies. She cooks the food, she washes the dishes. 
She cleans the pots. She is giving her life to that 
one who befriended her in her time of need. No 
one would have her aroundi them but Jesus. 

We come now to look upon a very touching scene 
in our picture. A long tedious journey must be 
taken. Jesus and his disciple must go to Jerusalem. 
But we find our Mary, and other faithful women 
followers, ready to make the journey with them, to 
minister to their necessities. After many days of 
tedious travel, they reach their destination. Foot 
worn and weary, they go into camp. But scarcely 
have they time to rest, when their Master is taken 
into custody; given a mock trial, condemned to die 
and crucified on Calvary. In the picture we see 
our Mary, and the other faithful followers, as they 
behold their Lord and Master, bleeding, and dying, 
upon that cruel cross. 

Our next scene is a little funeral procession. Pious 
men have taken the lifeless body of Jesus, and pro- 
ceed to bury it. We see our Mary and the other 
faithful women, as they follow up to see where they 
will lay him. Now a dim scene in our picture fol- 
lows. A little camp fire near Mt. Olivet, around 
which are gathered these faithful followers, but 
their Master is not with them. 

Then vividly in our picture, we see those devoted 
women ; as they count out the coins to pay for the 
precious ointment, and spices, with which they in- 


126 


THE LOST LESSON 


tend to anoint the dead body of their Lord and 
Master. And again we see them, in our picture, 
three in number, as they trudge along those deserted 
streets in the early hours of the morning, on their 
mission of love and reverence. 

Why have they chosen this lonely hour of dark- 
ness to perform their mission? 

We have heard it suggested that they wished to 
escape the taunts and jeers, and the ridicule of the 
rabble. 

Well, they didn’t try to escape the taunts and jeers 
of the rabble, as they stood at the foot of the cross 
of their dying Saviour. 

They did not try to escape the ridicule of the rab- 
ble, as they followed up in that funeral procession. 

Neither are they evading them now. 

We have heard it suggested that they would not 
be permitted to carry out their purpose. That the 
rabble would prevent them. 

The rabble did not prevent Nicodemus, who came 
to him by night, and Joseph of Arimathaea, from 
taking the body from the cross, and giving it a 
decent burial. 

Neither would they have prevented these devoted 
women, from anointing his lifeless body. Indeed, 
those heartless soldiers who pierced him, would 
have given them aid. And those who mocked and 
spat upon him would have helped them roll away 
the stone. Mortal man as devoid of honor as he 
may become, respects the tears of woman. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


127 


Why do they come while it is yet dark? It is 
because their hearts are burning to perform this 
duty to their Lord and Master. Their hearts are 
bleeding to look once more upon the face of their 
loved one. The law prevents them from coming 
sooner. Not demons nor devils, nor the fear of the 
rabble, but respect for their law prevents them 
from coming earlier. 

In our picture we see them as lonely, with aching, 
bleeding hearts, they trudge along, and wondering 
who will help them roll away the stone. 

Ah! Precious women, there has been an occur- 
rence of which you are not aware. A seal has been 
placed upon that sepulchre. The Roman seal. And 
it is death to the one who breaks it. 

No odds how much they might desire to assist 
you; the Roman seal forbids them. Your mission 
as far as humanity is concerned, is to prove a total 
failure. You will return to your lonely camp, carry- 
ing with you, those precious ointments. 

In our picture we see them, as they reach the 
sepulchre; the awe, the consternation depicted on 
their faces, when they find that the stone is rolled 
away, and the body of their loved one is taken from 
them. 

In their terror, their first thought is to seek assis- 
tance. And with womanly nature, they turn to the 
stronger arm; to Peter and John. 


128 


THE LOST LESSON 


But who will do the errand? The other Mary is 
aged, the mother of one of the disciples. Salome, 
also, is old, the mother of two of the disciples. Our 
Mary Magdalene. She runs to carry the message 
to Peter and John. In our - picture, we see her, as 
street after street she crosses, clipping off the dis- 
tance. 

These two disciples hasten to the sepulchre, fol- 
lowed closely by the fleet-footed Mary. 

After some investigation, these two disciples go 
sadly away to their homes. The other two women 
have left the sepulchre. But Mary Magdalene 
stands without weeping. Why should she weep so 
bitterly? Why does she not go to her home? She 
has no home to which she may go. 

Will she now, and at last by hunger and cold, be 
forced back onto the mercies of those seven devils? 
They would welcome her, indeed they would. God 
of Heaven help her in her hour of need. 

Just then some one speaks to her and says : Whom 
seek ye ? She says : They have taken away our Lord, 
and we know not where they have laid him. Jesus 
says, Mary. 

No spoken words, or paintings drawn, can por- 
tray the joy of that poor mortal that moment. We 
drop the curtain. 

I have been asked the question : How many Mary 
Magdalenes were there? I do not know how many 
Mary Magdalenes there were that day and time, 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


129 


nor do I know how many Mary Magdalenes there 
are this day and time. But I do know that there are 
many poor mortals who have their being or their 
existence somewhere along the scenes, portrayed in 
this word picture. 

To such poor mortals, I will say, that bitter tears 
at Jesus’ feet, and a willingness to give your life to 
the service of Jesus of Nazareth, will bring help 
and mercy from Heaven. 

You can never find your lost piece of silver, bu» 
you can find a merciful Saviour. 


























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BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


131 


THE GOAL 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons And Lectures . 

Copyrighted 1922, by the author. 

Lesson XIII. 

I remember a good many years ago, when this* 
large city was but a small town, with only two 01 
three railroads, that another railroad magnate de 
sired, also, to build his lines into the city. 

Building on up this way, he found that in ordei 
for him to get into the city, it would be necessary 
for him to cross one or the other of these first rail- 
ways. The owners of these railways, not over- 
anxious for competition, refused to let him cross 
their right of way, unless he pay an enormous 
bonus, such as would almost bankrupt him. 

Did he give it up? No. He went back there a 
few miles, and began grading at the bed rock, as it 
were, grading up, up, inch by inch, up, inch by inch, 
until when he came to the obstacle, he crossed over, 
built on into the city, and reached the goal. 


132 


THE GOAL 


Thinking over this, I believe we have some valu- 
able applications in our walks of life. 

Doubtless, each boy and girl in the land, looks 
forward to some object, a goal, that they desire to 
reach. It is true, that some of these boys have a 
great base ball king, or prize fighter, they wish to 
imitate. And some of the girls have as their ideal 
a great movie star, or some queen of the upper set 
as their goal. But we believe that most boys and 
girls, have a real goal, a work, an occupation, a pro- 
fession, to which their mind is continually leading 
them. A desire to do that work, a desire to fill that 
sphere, is continually drawing them that way. 

They begin building on up that way. But soon 
they find that in order for them to attain their de- 
sire, to reach that goal, there is a bonus to pay. An 
earnest, heroic effort to put forth, a price to pay. 

Sad to say, that many of these precious boys and 
girls, at this critical time, give up the struggle. They 
never reach the goal, and never amount to anything 
in this life. 

But many a precious boy and girl, when they 
come to see the obstacles, to view the obstructions, 
ahead of them, with determined zeal, begin back 
at the bed rock, and inch by inch, they build up, up, 
till when they come to the obstruction they cross 
over and reach the goal. It is such as these, who 
have accomplished things in this world. 

Again, we have an application with the one who 
is just taking up the cause of the Master. To every 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 133 

such an individual there comes a vision, a work 
to do, a task to perform. A desire, some to do this, 
and some to do that. To each and every one, a par- 
ticular calling. A certain goal to reach. 

They begin to build on that way, but soon they 
realize that there are obstructions, there are ob- 
stacles in the way. There is a bonus to pay, if they 
reach the goal. 

Sad to say, many give it up. They will not pay 
the price. 

They utterly fail to do the work, the Master has 
called them to do. 

But others, placing their Master’s cause above all 
other things, begin at the bed rock, build up, up, 
until when the obstacles are encountered, they pass 
over, and reach the goal. Such as these are building 
for the Master, are winning souls for the kingdom 
of heaven. 

There is another application. Unquestionably, 
no sane person lives, who does not look forward to 
eternity, and wonder how, and where, they will 
spend those eternal years. Beyond this life they 
see the goal. Will they reach it? Will they pay 
the price? How, and where will they spend eter- 
nity? 















































































































































































































































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BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


135 


THE INFIDEL vs THE BIBLE 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures . 

Copyrighted 1922, by the Author. 

Lesson XIV. 

In the selection of our topic for this lecture. The 
Infidel vs. the Bible, the wtord infidel, has reference 
to the followers of the late Col. Robt. G. Ingersol, 
and the selection was made for convenience, and 
brevity, and is not intended as a slur, or reflection 
on this, if not the greatest, one of the greatest, of 
the world’s religious thinkers, and orators of the 
nineteenth century, if not of all time. Indeed, Henry 
Ward Beecher said of him, that no man on earth 
could talk like Ingersol. 

Nor would we detract one iota, from the great 
principles of ethics, and morality, as laid down by 
this eminent man; so needful for the welfare of 
mankind in this earthly life. But the purpose for 
which this lecture is put into print, and sent out over 
the earth, is to point out some of the mistakes, as 
we see them, of Ingersol, in his comments on the 


136 


THE INFIDEL VS. THE BIBLE 


Bible; the truths of which book are so needful for 
us to understand, in our preparation for the life to 
come. 

For a better understanding of the purpose, and 
the cause, leading up to the writing of this lecture, 
a brief sketch of my early life, would be in place 
here. 

Fortunately for me, I had praying parents. In 
our home was the family altar, a religious duty so 
much neglected this day and time. And there I 
heard my father pray, and though near a half cen- 
tury has passed since he was taken from our home, 
many of the expressions, such as : Lord watch over 
my precious children, and keep them from dangers 
seen and unseen, are remembered, as though spoken 
just yesterday. When that father came to die, in 
his last agony, as death came to him, he lifted up 
his hand, and looking at his children, he pointed to- 
wards Heaven, and passed away. The value of this 
effort will be seen, as we proceed with our subject. 

After all this, shameful to say, I wandered deep 
into sin ; and it was my hap, as 1 wandered, to light 
in a community composed largely of infidels, and 
where infidelity was popular. 

About the time I had reached my majority, I was, 
one day, in the little city of Weatherford, Texas, in 
the law office of a friend, a brilliant young lawyer. 
In the conversation, in some way, I quoted a verse 
of scripture. Says he: You don't believe in that old 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


137 


snag, do you? I said: Yes, I suppose I do. Swallow 
it down, fish story and all? said he. Yes, I replied. 
If I believe any of it, I believe it all. Ah! said he, 
you are too sensible a man for that. Then he said : 
I have a book here I’ll give you, you take it home 
and read it; it will open your eyes. He handed me 
a small volume; the name of the book was, The 
Bible versus the Bible, or, Forty-two Contradictions 
in the Bible, written by Col. Robt. G. Ingersol. I 
took the book home with me and studied it closely, 
and it seemed to be correct and unanswerable; es- 
pecially in that he showed that Christianity had al- 
ways held, and was still holding down, the progress 
of true science. Showing that statements in the 
Bible to which Christianity adhered, seemed to be 
untrue. I knew that to some extent, Ingersol was 
correct. 

This was brought more forcibly to me in my early 
school work ; when it would go so far as that patrons, 
and trustees, would tell me that if I continued to 
teach such infidel ideas, as to the shape of the earth, 
or its movments in space, or of the length of time in 
the creation, that they would stop their children 
from school, and put me out the business. 

But the crowning event came, when all the teach- 
ers of our county came together, and planned a great 
educational rally, to be held at a certain date, at 
which, would be discussed the vexing problems con- 
fronting the school work. 


138 


THE INFIDEL VS. THE BIBLE 


Now, it being necessary that someone be sacri- 
ficed, and myself being of the least importance, I 
was given the subject of the creation. 

The date of the rally having come, and everybody 
being there, and my name on the program being 
reached, I came forward, and in the best words at 
my command, I pictured to them, those long periods 
of time, in which all the magnificent grandeur of 
the heaven, had been brought about, and then the 
great coal fields, and other great mineral deposits, 
and formations of the ages gone by. Well to cut a 
long story short, I did my dead level best. 

The question being opened for discussion, there 
came forward a minister, one of my own creed you 
must know. He had a voice that would jar the whole 
building; and in words to this effect, he told that 
audience, that never before had he heard such base 
infidelity, and such a gross insult to Christianity. 
And wondered how long patrons and trustees of 
the schools would sit like mummies, and permit such 
pernicious doctrine to be taught their children. Re- 
marking, that anyone who would teach such abomin- 
able doctrine, should not be countenanced in society, 
much less in the school room,. Then he reminded 
them that the fact that these scientists were divided 
among themselves, was proof that they were in 
error. Then he told them that a great Chicago 
educator had recently announced the discovery, that 
the human soul was so small, that it could be put in 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


139 


a thimble. He wound up by quoting scripture, that 
in six days created he the heavens and the earth; 
and that by his breath created he them. 

Did I answer him? No. I did feel like telling 
him, that the soul of that individual, whom the 
Chicago educator had examined, was about the size 
of the mind of the man, who could imagine that 
God would sit idly around through all those billions 
of years, and then come suddenly into the limelight, 
by having world, suns, stars, comets, and nebulae, 
flying out of his mouth like sparks from a black- 
smith's forge, and that if being divided, was evi- 
dence of error, Christianity was hopelessly on the 
run; and in answer to the scripture that by his 
breath created he them; that some men did seem 
to be made mostly of wind. 

But for harmony's sake, I let it pass. I was 
rankled. I said to myself: If this is Christianity, 
I want none of it, Ingersol is right; and the thing 
to do, is to com!e out boldly, as Ingersol had done; 
and hit that delusion, and hit it hard. 

There came to me the thought of that father’s 
prayers; that hand that pointed us children, away 
towards Heaven. What would I do with that? Then 
again : Is it not a fact that there are extremists in all 
things? After careful deliberation, I determined to 
give the whole affair a close investigation. What is 
the truth about it? If God has created nature and 
the Bible, they must correspond. There must posi- 
tively be no contradiction whatever. 


140 


THE INFIDEL VS. THE BIBLE 


COME LET US REASON TOGETHER 

Now with IngersoPs writings before us, and books 
of science at our command, and nature for our con- 
sideration, and the Bible in one hand; we will pro- 
ceed to settle this business for time and eternity. 
First, let us consider the creation. 

Ingersol teaches us, science claims it, and nature 
proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there was 
a time when this earth did not exist; that it came 
together by particles. Turning to the Bible we read : 
And the earth was void and without form, and dark- 
ness was upon the face of the deep. All agreed. No 
contradiction. Nothing to quibble about, except how 
long the earth remained void, and without form. 

Ingersol teaches us, science claims it, and nature 
proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there was 
a time on this earth, that no living thing existed on 
this earth, either vegetable, animal, or human. Not 
even the smallest vegetable spore. Turning to the 
Bible we read: And God said, let the dry land ap- 
pear: and it was so. Absolute corroboration. Noth- 
ing to quibble about whatever, except the length of 
time it took the dry land to appear. 

Ingersol teaches us, science claims it, and nature 
proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the first 
form of life on this earth, was vegetable life; and 
that it grew under a different form of heat and 
light, to what we nowt have. Immense forests of 
trees, growing as if on an enormous hot bed, such as 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


141 


have made our great coal fields. Turning to the Bible 
we read : And God said, Let the earth bring forth 
grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree 
yielding fruit after his kind, and it was so. The 
earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed, 
and the fruit tree yielding fruit, and God saw that 
it was good. And the evening and the morning 
were the third day. Perfect harmony. Nothing to 
quibble about, except the length of the third day. 

Ingersol teaches us, science claims it, and nature 
proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there has 
been a change in the system of heat and light, under 
which vegetation has grown on the earth, two wholly 
different systems of heat and light. Turning to the 
Bible we read: And God made two great lights; the 
greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to 
rule the night. And God saw that it was good, and 
the evening and the morning, were the fourth day. 
Perfect corroboration. Nothing to quibble about, 
except the length of the fourth day. 

Ingersol teaches us, science claims it, and nature 
proves beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the first 
form of animal life to exist on this earth, was of a 
lower order; such as could live in the water, and 
that could fly in the air. Turning to our Bible we 
read: And God created whales, and every living 
creature which the waters brought forth ; and every 
hvinged fowl. And God saw that it was good; and 


142 


THE INFIDEL VS. THE BIBLE 


the evening and the morning were the fifth day. All 
agreed. Nothing to quibble about, except the length 
of the fifth day. 

Ingersol teaches us, science claims it; and nature 
proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, that following 
the creation of the lowler order of animal life, that 
the higher order, such as the beasts of the field, the 
cattle, and last of all, man was created. Turning 
to the Bible we read : And God created the beasts of 
the earth after his kind ; and cattle after their kind ; 
and every living thing that creepeth upon the earth 
after his kind. And God saw that it was good. And 
God created man in his own image; in the image of 
God created he him; male and female created he 
them. And God blessed them and said : Be fruitful, 
and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it. 
and have dominion over it. And the evening and 
the morning were the sixth day. All in perfect 
harmony. Nothing to quibble about, except the 
length of the sixth day. 

So I see no reason why we should not accept the 
Bible as being wholly true. 

Hold up, says the infidel, here’s where you are 
wrong. Your Bible says that all this creation took 
place in six days ; and science claims it ; and nature 
proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that this crea- 
tion did not take place in six days. 

Alright, leaving aside all argument, as to what 
could have happened, we will agree with you, in- 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


143 


fldel, that it did not occur in six days, as man counts 
time. But we must consider whether these six days 
are reckoned in man’s time, or solar time, or God’s 
time. You note that just now, in perfect harmony, 
we agreed that three of these days had passed, be- 
fore the sun was created; and therefore could not 
be counted in solar time. We agreed that the fourth 
day, the fifth day, and a great part of the sixth day 
had passed before man was created, and therefore, 
could not be reckoned in man’s time. Conclusive 
proof that these six days were reckoned in God’s 
time. 

Turning to our Bible we read: A day with the 
Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years 
is as a day. 

So we consider the matter settled. 

Hold up, says the infidel; there’s something yet. 
Scientific research, is about to prove, that there was 
a pre-Adamic race. Alright, that would not bother 
us, should they prove it. God had plenty of time 
and is it not a fact that this human race came with- 
in eight of losing out? And if it had not been for 
righteous Noah refusing to accept infidelity, would 
have lost out. And do you think that God would 
have let this beautiful world move on and on through 
space forever, with none to sing his praise? No. 
There would have been a post-Adamic race or two. 

No need to worry about a pre-Adamic race. 


144 THE INFIDEL VS. THE BIBLE 

Hold up, says the Infidel. Here’s where your Bi- 
ble is at fault. It says that God is the author of 
all living. And the scientists are on the eve of 
proving that distilled water can be taken, and kept 
absolutely free from any impregnation, and can be 
made to bring forth life. 

Alright, let them prove it, and probably they will. 
It will only add another link to the already strong 
chain of evidence; for the power that brought the 
waters together, and said: Let the waters bring 
forth abundantly, could give it the power to do 
his bidding. 

But, says the infidel, here’s where I’ve got you. 
Your Bible says that God created all living things, 
male and female, and we know that there are con- 
tinually coming into existence, bugs, and insects of 
different kinds, that have had no existence on earth 
heretofore. Yes, we know this to be true; but like 
the foregoing paragraph, he said: Let the earth 
bring forth abundantly the living creature, and we 
see that it has the power to do so. 

But, says the infidel, we are just about to discover 
the missing link. To such I would say, that if there 
be such a thing as the missing link, the quickest 
way to discover it, is to turn your microscope upon 
your puny self. 

There can Be no missing link. Absolutely no con- 
nection between a being with an immortal soul, and 
a being without an immortal soul. You are either 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


145 


one or the other. Your foreparents came fresh from 
the hand of God, or were nourished by a mother 
monkey. 

But, says the skeptic, you Christian people are 
always prating about the Holy Spirit. We are not 
disposed to believe in Myths ; we must be able with 
one of our five senses to know what we are about; 
and we don’t believe in such abstract nonsense. And 
unless we have some evidence that is substantial, 
we will not believe — we must be shown conclusively. 

Alright, you pick up a stone, and cast it out 
into space. Does it move on forever in a: straight 
line? No, it swerves and comes quickly back to 
earth. Why does it do this? Why does it not move 
on in a straight line forever ? Ah ! Gravity, you say ; 
the law of gravity. How do you know it is the law 
of gravity? Can you see it, or in any way detect 
it with any one of the five senses? Get out your 
microscope; examine the stone carefully, and the 
dent in the ground where it fell. Can you detect the 
law of gravity? Oh! We can see the effects of it. 
Yes, you believe, because you can see the effects of it. 

Away out there in space is the silver moon ; hurl- 
ing along in its orbit, at tremendous velocity, around 
the earth as a center ; and there is the earth in its 
orbit, hurling along through space at almost in- 
credible velocity, carrying the moon with it, going 
round the sun as a center, and there’s the sun it- 
self, with its retinue of planets, in its orbit, and all 


146 


THE INFIDEL VS. THE BIBLE 


the other suns or stars, in their orbits, hurlirig 
along through space, with almost inconceivable ve- 
locity, going around some grand center, not yet de- 
termined. What keeps them in their orbit? What 
holds them there? Ah! Gravitation, you say, the 
grand law of gravitation. Every particle of matter 
in the universe, attracts every other particle of 
matter in the universe, etc. Well, how do you know 
that it is the law of gravitation ? Get out your teles- 
scope, look up there in that starry heaven. Can you 
see that gravitation? Can you discern it with any 
one of the five senses? Oh! We can see the effect of 
it, you say. Yes, you believe in gravitation because 
you can see the effects of it. Well, I believe in the 
Holy Spirit, because I can see the effects of him. 
I saw and felt the effects of the Holy Spirit when 
father was praying there at the family altar. I saw 
and felt the effects of the Holy Spirit when in his 
dying moments, he pointed his children away to- 
wards Heaven. You see and feel the effects of the 
Holy Spirit, when you stand over the bedside of a 
poor suffering mortal, that has lain there for days, 
and months, and even years, perfectly resigned to 
the will of the Father, suffering without complain- 
ing. You see and feel the effects of the Holy Spirit, 
when that poor suffering mortal comes down to the 
deep turbid river, so much dreaded by many. As he 
begins to feel of the waters, you bend over him and 
say : Are the waters chilly ? The answer comes back : 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


147 


No. The waters are not chilly. And with a sweet 
complacent smile, he closes his eyes, and passes 
over. You see, and feel, the effects of the Holy 
Spirit then, and there, and yet you will not believe. 
Hold up, says the skeptic, there is something yet. 
We are ready, and willing, to admit that there is 
some kind of a Supreme power, a Creator ; for it is 
evident that the creation is the work of one Supreme 
being. One who has planned it all. But that Jesus 
story. That is silly, foolish, and besides, it has the 
smack of illegitimacy. Besides, the witnesses who 
have given the account of his birth, life, death, and 
resurrection, do not corroborate each other. Their 
evidence is conflicting, and so full of contradictions 
that it would not be countenanced in any court in 
the land, so says Col. Ingersol, in his book, The 
Bible vs. the Bible. Alright, Mr. Infidel, if this be 
true, we will discard their testimony and burn our 
Bible. For if Jesus was divine, he should be able 
to gather about him followers, who could give the 
truth, and tell it straight; and a failure to do so, is 
conclusive proof that Jesus of Nazareth is not di- 
vine, and therefore not risen from the dead. We 
further agree with you, Mr. Infidel, that the Bible 
having come down through the many centuries, is 
no excuse for these contradictions. For the Son of 
God who could start a record, should be able to keep 
that record straight. And if that record is not as 
straight as the shortest distance between two points, 


148 


THE INFIDEL VS. THE BIBLE 


we wtill agree with you, Mr. Infidel, to cook our next 
meal with that book. But before consigning our 
Bible to the flames, even though Col. Ingersol is 
recognized as the greatest religious thinker of the 
age, I claim the right to carefully examine, and in- 
vestigate those records for myself individually. 
And furthermore as the resurrection of Jesus of 
Nazareth is the vital issue, I will confine my inves- 
tigation to that one point. For if Jesus of Nazareth 
be not risen from the dead, then I will not arise from 
the dead. But if Jesus of Nazareth be risen from 
the dead, then will I arise from the dead, and I de- 
sire to know the true status of the matter, for I 
may have an immortal soul at stake. 

So infidel, you may come forward now, and in 
your book, the Bible vs. the Bible, point out those 
several contradictions concerning the resurrection, 
which you say are untenable, and would prove to 
any sane man, that the whole fabric is a farce. 

Alright, you say here that some of the witnesses 
testify, that Mary Magdalene came to the sepulchre 
while it was yet dark; and other witnesses testify, 
she came to the sepulchre, at the rising of the sun. 
Which you say is a condition, that could not exist, 
either with, or without a miracle, and is absurd. 

You further state, that some of the witnesses tes- 
tify, that she was alone, and other witnesses testi- 
fy, that two other women were with her, a flat con- 
tradiction. You further state that some of the wit- 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


149 


nesses testify, that these women fled away from the 
sepulchre and told the apostles, that Jesus was risen 
from the dead; and that they had seen, and talked 
with him. But that other witnesses testify that 
these women fled away from the sepulchre, and told 
the apostles, that some one had taken the body of 
Jesus away, and they knew not where they had laid 
him, an absurd contradiction. 

You further state that some of the witnesses tes- 
tify that Peter ran down to the sepulchre and went 
into it, that others testify he just looked into the 
sepulchre, which is a contradiction untenable. Too 
bad, infidel; too bad. I did so hope we would find 
the record pure. 

B*ut before we make a final decision, let us search 
diligently ; for eternal life is now at stake. 

Laying aside your book, The Bible vs. the Bible 
we take up the Bible itself, and try out the wit- 
nesses. 

First, John Zebedee comes onto the witness 
stand, and testifies, that early in the morning, the 
first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the 
sepulchre, while it was yet dark; that the stone 
was rolled away from the sepulchre; that she fled 
away from the sepulchre! for help ; that she cometh 
to himself and Peter, and said: They have taken 
away the body of the Lord out of the sepulchre, 
and we know not where they have laid him. 
Though she was alone on her errand for help, the 


150 


THE INFIDEL VS. THE BIBLE 


word, we, proves she was not alone on her mission 
to the sepulchre, that others were with her there. 

John further testifies that he and Peter ran to 
the sepulchre; that he did out run Peter and came 
to the sepulchre first, but went not into the sepul- 
chre; that when Peter came, he, Peter, went into 
the sepulchre; that after Peter went in, he, John, 
went in also ; that they saw nothing but the clothes 
lying there ; after which he and Peter went away to 
their homes, and left Mary Magdalene outside weep- 
ing. This proves that Mary Magdalene had re- 
turned to the sepulchre; and judging from the dis- 
ance she had traveled, it must have been about the 
rising of the sun. But further, John Zebedee tes- 
tifies not. We wfill now put John Mark on the wit- 
ness stand. Which witness testifies, not in sub- 
stance, but positively that there were three women 
who came to the sepulchre. Besides Mary Mag- 
dalene, another Mary, and Salome Zebedee, the 
mother of John Zebedee, which would account for 
the fact that John Zebedee did not mention her 
name, as he and Jesus neither, did much bragging 
about what their mother did. John Mark further 
testifies that these women came up to the sepulchre, 
and it was at the rising of the sun, that they saw 
an angel who said to them : Ye seek Jesus, he is not 
here; but go your way, and tell his disciples he 
goeth before you into Galilee; that they fled away 
from the sepulchre, not for help as at first, but to 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


151 


carry the news to the disciples. That on their way 
Jesus himself appeared, first to Mary Magdalene, 
and then to the other women. 

Absolutely no contradiction whatever between the 
testimony of John Zebedee and John Mark. The 
latter merely taking up the story where the former 
left off. 

Matthew Levi, ex-tax-collector, takes the stand, 
and except that he does not mention the name of 
John Zebedee’s mother, his testimony is identical 
with that of John Mark, perfect corroboration in 
every particular. 

Dr. Luke takes the witness stand. He too, begins 
the story where John Zebedee left off, and his testi- 
mony, except that he does not mention the name 
of either of the women who came to the sepulchre, 
is identical with John Mark and Matthew Levi. But 
mentions the names of several women who went to 
tell the disciples that Jesus was risen from the dead, 
stating that Peter went down to the sepulchre and 
looked in ; adding in his testimony that the disciples 
regarded the words of these women as idle tales, 
just as most men do this day and time. So infidel, 
we see, and know positively, that instead of the tes- 
timony of these four witnesses being a fabric of 
contradictions, untenable, that they are in perfect 
accord in every detail, in every particular. 

We know that in all the courts of our land that 
there is no testimony of four witnesses on record 


152 


THE INFIDEL VS. THE BIBLE 


that corroborates each other more exactly than does 
the evidence of these four witnesses, as laid down 
in the Bible. 

And now, infidel, you have written a book called : 
The Bible vs. the Bible, in which you proclaim 
these contradictions, and that book has been pub- 
lished and translated into practically every known 
language on earth, and has been read by thousands, 
yes, millions of unthinking men and women, and 
precious boys and girls ; who knowing you to be one 
of the greatest thinkers the world has ever known, 
have trusted in you and depended on you to get it 
correct. 

Too bad, infidel, too bad, that you did not search 
more diligently ; or if you did search diligently, that 
you should be looking for the contradictions, and not 
for the truth. 

Too bad, infidel, too bad, that you have passed 
from earth into eternity, and have not now the op- 
portunity of correcting this fateful error; even 
though all through your life you expressed a wish, 
even a prayer that you would be rational up to your 
dying momient, so that you might be able to prove 
to the world whether or not you could die by the 
religion you had lived. Your prayer that you would 
be rational up to your last moment was granted, but 
you died suddenly; not even a gurgle. 

Too bad, infidel, too bad, that you had no oppor- 
tunity to recant. Too bad that death should come 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 153 

to you so suddenly and unexpectedly. But I will 
promise you this, infidel, having been one who in my 
youth read and tried to believe your teachings, that 
I will have this plain and simple correction of your 
errors published and translated into every language 
and sent into every land where your works have 
gone. Though your works have many years the 
start of me, God being my helper, I will do all in my 
power to correct the evil. 

Hold up, says the skeptic. Is it not foolish, silly, 
and unreasonable to accept a doctrine or religion 
that makes a pauper or a beggar of one ? A religion 
that may bring one to poverty? In answer, I will 
say that unless you are willing and ready to suffer 
persecutions and all manner of evil, for the sake of 
Jesus of Nazareth, you are by no means ready. 

Hold up, says another, that story of the cross. 
Is it reasonable, or plausible, or just that one should 
suffer and die for the sins of another, as the Chris- 
tian religion teaches us that Jesus of Nazareth did? 
Please explain the story of the cross. 

The cross, the stumbling block to all the world. 
Why the need of the cross ? The infidel, the skeptic, 
the heathen, the Jew, and disbeliever in every phase 
of life, stumble here. Why the cross? And why 
should I need to carry it? This the last question, 
can it be answered? If so, the battle is won. For 
those who believe in the cross, will believe in Him 
who died on the cross, and those who believe on 
Him shall have eternal life. 


154 


THE INFIDEL VS. THE BIBLE 


For an answer to this, the all important question, 
I appealed to my precious sister, who answers in 
the following words: 

Dear Brother: The only answer that I can give 
to the question, wjhy the cross? And why the need 
of it? is this: That Christ may be held up in 
easy view to a sin-sick and suffering world, a dying 
people. We have all been bitten by the fiery ser- 
pent of sin. Christ became sin for us. He who knew 
no sin, was lifted up to the view of a sin-cursed 
world, and died upon the cross, as God's remedy, 
that is, God's own appropriate remedy, His own and 
only cure, that whosoever looketh upon Him, might 
be saved from their sins and have eternal life. If 
any one will come after Christ, deny himself, take up 
his cross, and follow Him, that one will still be hold- 
ing up the cross of the crucified one, and will still 
be holding up the Saviour of lost humanity to a 
dying world as their substitute, as the only means 
of their reconciliation to God. It is God's way and 
the only way by which we may have eternal life. 

Your Sister. 

Who could refuse to believe this beautiful story 
of the cross ? And who could refuse to accept Him, 
who died thereon, as their Lord and Redeemer? 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


155 


WHEN THE DEVIL PUSHES 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures. 

Copyrighted 1922, by the Author. 

Lesson XV. 

Once in my travels, I rode on a railway train, 
that they said of it, that it carried three classes of 
passengers, first-class, second-class, and third-class 
passengers. The first-class passengers rode all the 
way; the second-class passengers, when they came 
to the hard pull, got off and walked ; and the third- 
class passengers got off and pushed. 

Now this was not the Rail- 

road either, for that railroad has been built since 
I took that ride. 

Well, we rather believe that neither of these three 
classes of passengers would enjoy this kind of 
travel, not even the first-class passengers. 

But just now, we are thinking of a certain char- 
acter that we really believe enjoys being a third- 
class passenger. One who delights on certain occa- 
sions to get off and push. The Devil is this char- 
acter. 


156 


WHEN THE DEVIL PUSHES 


However, the Devil very much prefers to ride all 
the way. And it is only when things are not going 
on to suit him that he chooses to get off and push. 
And we must know that when the Devil rides, he 
rides for all it is worth. He will put all his weight 
upon that train, and even put a stop to it, if possible. 
On failure to stop it, he gets off, and pushes for dear 
life. 

Now, it is the purpose of this lecture to notice on 
what occasions the Devil chooses to become a third- 
class passenger. 

The Devil riding on the labor train. 

Now, the labor problem of today is one of the 
greatest problems assigned to mankind for solution. 

It is probably occupying more thought in the 
mind of man today than any other issue. And it 
is needless to say that the Devil will do whatsoever 
he can, pro and con, to help the business along. By 
either riding or pushing. 

But in this lecture we shall notice only the lighter 
phase of manual labor. 

Now, it appears from the Bible either the way we 
read it, or the way we interpret it, that there is a 
discrepancy. 

Many of us believe had it not been for the trans- 
gressions of our foreparents that we would not have 
to earn our bread by the sweat of our brow. That 
all we would have to do would be to sit complacently 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


157 


under our own vine and fig tree and pluck the 
luscious fruit therefrom. And that, too, without 
toil or labor. 

But reading more closely, we note that even before 
the transgression, man was placed in the garden to 
till the soil. God had planted the garden alright, 
and had brought it into bearing alright, but it 
seems that he now turns it over to Adam to culti- 
vate. God entrusts Adam thenceforth with the care 
of that garden. 

And we have no evidence whatever that Adam 
in any way was falling down on the work that the 
Lord had assigned him to do. Or that he was, in 
any way, letting that beautiful garden of Eden go 
to rack. None whatever. 

But just here is where the Devil steps in. He 
can't stop that train. Adam is going on with that 
business. So instead of trying longer to stop that 
train, the Devil gets off and pushes. Which he does 
by assisting Adam and Eve to get more wisdom. 
To become wise like the gods. 

But these are occurrences of the past. They 
cannot now be rescinded. So, we will turn our at- 
tention to present day activities and occurrences. 

That spirit of energy and industry manifested in 
Adam is clearly noticed in his descendants. And 
though his descendants, in addition to the honest 
toil and labor assigned to Adam, have also the 


158 


WHEN THE DEVIL PUSHES 


thorns and the thistles ; and yet though pierced and 
stung with these, they go on with the train, and it 
is here that the Devil gets off and pushes. 

He can't stop the labor train. So he pushes up 
the passengers. He quotes the Scripture, Go to the 
ant thou sluggard, consider her ways and be wise. 
Now if the Devil would only quote that Scripture 
to the sluggard, it would be 0. K. but the sluggard 
is not on that train. 

So he quotes it to the farmer, or the business 
man, already worn out with toil and care, his health 
giving away under the strain of incessant manual 
labor. 

Now, the Devil knows better than most human 
beings know that there is a limit to human endur- 
ance; that the physical makeup of the human body 
can be wrecked and destroyed by overloading, just 
as much so as can a wjagon or other vehicle. 

So, the Devil by encouraging whispers, by push- 
ing him up in his already industrious habits, gets 
him to destroy his body, his only body, by over- 
exertion at hard labor on the farm. Or by too close 
and attentive application to his business. And thus 
brings him down to an untimely grave. And 
thereby takes him away from his family, from his 
children, who so much need his protection and care, 
his counsel and advice. 

In this, the Devil has been well paid for his push- 
ing, for he has ended just so much happiness, and 
that is his business. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


159 


The Devil riding on the gospel train. 

Now, if there is any train that the Devil would 
like to stop and put out of business, it is the gospel 
train. 

The Devil reads the Bible. He studies it closely. 
He can quote more Scripture than any preacher in 
the pulpit. And he quotes it correctly, too. I have 
never noticed an instance where the Devil mis- 
quoted a passage of Scripture to any one. Even 
Jesus of Nazareth recognized the Devil's ability to 
quote Scripture correctly. 

Now, the Devil has read in the Bible where it 
says : The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto 
salvation. And the Devil does not like that state- 
ment a little bit. If he could only stop that gospel 
train which carries that message, he would be will- 
ing to let all other trains move onward. 

Therefore, we will find him, trying in every con- 
ceivable way to ride down that train. He disheart- 
ens the passengers, those who are carrying the glad 
tidings. 

The worker at home and abroad ; the missionaries 
in foreign lands, on the land and on the sea, have all 
kinds of obstacles and obstructions thrown in their 
way. 

They have suffering and sorrow ; trials and tribu- 
lations ; from the humblest to the greatest. Yet the 
gospel train moves on. 

The Devil failing to stop the train, never loses 
sight of an opportunity to do some pushing. 


160 WHEN THE DEVIL PUSHES 

He pushes up some to worship the shadow instead 
of the substance. He pushes up' some to the rank- 
est fanaticism. He makes them believe that they 
are giving their all for God, when they are the dupes 
of the Devil. He pushes up some one of the relig- 
ious denominations over the downfall of another. 
He's pushing, pushing. 

He sometimes pushes up the big church in the city 
to the great detriment of the small, weak churches 
out in the suburbs. He pushes up a great degree of 
bickering, strife, and antagonism between the dif- 
ferent religious denominations, though they are 
each laboring for the same grand cause, that of 
bringing lost souls into the kingdom. He gets them 
to cut each other’s throats at his bidding. They 
fall a victim to the Devil’s pushing. 

In the foregoing statements, in just as few words 
as possible, I have endeavored to make clear the 
fact that the Devil works in a two fold manner, that 
is, he will work either for or against God’s people 
as it best suits his infamous purpose. 

He will drag them down, or boost them up, as he 
sees will be to his final advantage and slimy inter- 
ests. 

We have already mentioned where he assisted 
Adam and Eve to get more knowledge and wisdom 
which proved their undoing. 

Again, we find him trying to assist Jesus of Naz- 
areth to get more strength of body by showing him 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 161 

how to provide bread to eat. Also, how he could at 
once gain fame and notoriety by casting himself 
from the pinnacle of the temple in the presence of 
that concourse of people. 

Now if the Devil would offer to assist Jesus of 
Nazareth in carrying out his mission, most as- 
suredly he will offer us assistance and in many dif- 
ferent ways, too, to carry out our mission. And 
he will assist us, too, even before we perceive it, as 
he did Adam and Eve, to our injury. 

I must tell you just here that many times I have 
found it exceedingly difficult to tell whether it was 
God whispered to me or the Devil whispered to me, 
when I was told to do this thing or that thing. 

The Devil was once a great angel. He lost his 
place in Heaven. But he has not yet lost his angelic 
voice. And in that angelic voice he will whisper 
us to our injury. 

The only safe way out of it is through constant 
vigilance and prayer to God for guidance. 

Statements in God’s word have a meaning. This 
we must know. Such statements as : Be not over- 
zealous ; give God your reasonable service, and other 
such statements, mean just what they say. 

God asks for and expects our reasonable service, 
and no more, either physically or spiritually. And 
whenever we attempt to give Him more than he de- 
mands and tells us plainly he does not desire, we are 
not in accord with his teachings ; and it will prove 
to our hurt and injury. It’s the Devil pushing. 


162 


WHEN THE DEVIL PUSHES 


Again, we must depend upon a higher power for 
guidance and assistance in this matter. 

I remember once seeing a picture that interested 
me very much. It was the picture of an enormous 
rock, but in the image of a man; and it had on it 
this inscription, The Hock of Ages. 

The Devil comes along and seeing the Rock of 
Ages there had seized a prize pole and was exerting 
every effort to overthrow the Rock of Ages. A two- 
by-four Christian, seeing the Devil trying to over- 
throw it, had thrown down his tools, seized him a 
prize pole also, and on the opposite side from the 
Devil, was putting forth every energy in his mortal 
body to prevent the Devil from overthrowing the 
Rock of Ages. 

I leave you just here to draw a lot of conclusions. 

The Devil riding humanity's train. 

We come now to speak of a very peculiar phase 
of this question; and one that I have very much 
dreaded to discuss. But in the past this has been 
very perplexing to me. Just why such things have 
happened to happen. 

And knowing, too, that these statements will go 
into print, and will be read by thousands of people, I 
therefore feel it to be my duty to make mention of 
these things. 

As it is in other instances in which the Devil is 
found pushing, it has for its basis a Bible quotation, 
which is this: Be fruitful and multiply, and replen- 
ish the earth. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


163 


Now the Devil from the very beginning has 
looked upon the human race as intruders upon his 
domain. The earth is the only place in all the crea- 
tion or universe where he has an influence, or an 
existence. He is omnipresent nowhere except on 
this earth. 

For this reason he would gladly ride down the 
train of humanity ; he would gladly crush the human 
race out of existence. 

By his heinous plotting, and with one blow of 
the club, he succeeded in blotting out one-fourth of 
the world's population at one time. 

As time went on, he so deluded and deceived hu- 
manity that he succeeded in getting all the human 
race destroyed except eight individuals. 

By his infamous planning, scheming, and plot- 
ting, he has brought war after war upon the human 
race, until the blood that has been shed would fill 
a great river to overflowing. 

Because of his infamous influence, millions of 
precious babes have been sent to premature death, 
an untimely grave. Sent there by cold blooded and 
heartless mothers, who are completely under his 
dominating influence. 

Oh yes, when eternity shall dawn, and the judg- 
ment is set, and the earth and the sea shall give up 
their dead, and the dead, both small and great, shall 
stand before God in judgment, and those millions of 


164 WHEN THE DEVIL PUSHES 

babes shall look upon those mothers who willfully 
destroyed them in their infancy, what a sight it 
will be. 

Ah! Devil, you have accomplished some slimy 
work just here. But humanity's train moves on. 

Yet, during all these years, the Devil never misses 
an opportunity to do some pushing, when he sees 
that it will work to his interest. 

And it happens, he uses that Bible quotation : Be 
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. It 
is just this, that has brought about the perplexing 
conditions of humanity heretofore mentioned. 

The Devil quoted this scripture: Be fruitful and 
multiply, to those old time people. To Abraham, to 
Jacob, to David, to Solomon, and to many others, 
it brought about polygamy, which has resulted, and 
always will result, in more harm than good. It's 
when the Devil pushes. 

It is indeed a perplexing peculiarity that men, 
and men of God, too, would be found in such polyg- 
amous conditions as existed that day and time. 
But like we do this day and time, they fell a victim 
to the Devil's pushing. 

Another peculiarity just here is this: the men 
were not alone in their overzealous actions. The 
women of that day and time overstepped the bounds 
of reason, and we find them in all kinds of plans 
and schemes to accomplish their purpose, that is, 
their desire to be a mother. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


165 


So much so, that one of them could look a judge 
squarely in the eye and swear positively that an- 
other mother's little live baby was her own baby, 
and that she had given it birth. So strange. And 
so reversed this day and time with many mothers. 

Yet, we rather believe that those old time women 
and mothers will stand a better show in the judg- 
ment morning than will those of their sex, who, 
this day and time, have as their highest ambition 
and desire, to own a husband and another poodle dog, 
and have a high-heel time. 

Well, summoning up the whole business in a nut 
shell; and as a closing remark, will say, that we 
readily see that the Devil is both for us and against 
us, and all at the same time, as the case may develop. 

He will push us forward and pull us backward, 
and that, too, all at the same time. 

What a strange Devil is this Devil of ours. 

Now I thank you, and may God bless you, and 
protect you, and keep you from falling a victim 
to his wily, cunning schemes, intrigues and devices. 


166 


TABLES AND POEMS 


Table of Jacob’s Twelve Sons? 

As They Walked With Him Here on Earth. Gen. ch. &5. 


By Rachel 

By Leah 

By Bilhah 

By Zilpah 

Joseph 

Reuben 

Dan 

Gad 

Benjamin 

Simeon 

Levi 

Judah 

Issachar 

Zebulun 

Naphtali 

Asher 


Table of Jacob’s Twelve Sons? 


As They Will Sit on Twelve Thrones. Rev. ch. 7. 


By Rachel 

By Leah 

By Bilhah 

By Zilpah 

Joseph 

Reuben 

Naphtali 

Gad 

Benjamin 

Simeon 


Asher 

Manasseh 

Levi 

Judah 

Issachar 

Zebulun 




From the above table it will be seen that there is 
a discrepancy, Dan being left out in the second 
table. 

Just why Dan does not appear as one of Jacob's 
sons in the spiritual inheritance is not clear to me, 
unless it be because of illegitimacy. 

I believe the 22nd verse of the 35th ch. of Gen. 
gives us the explanation. Now, that is, after this, 
the sons of Jacob were twelve. 

Ephraim and Manasseh, were Joseph's sons, 
and were adopted by Jacob as his sons. 

The names Joseph and Ephraim are used inter- 
changeably, Ephraim being Joseph's oldest son. 

Table arranged by A. J. Edwards. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


1C7 


Table Showing Three Different Bible Families. 


Parents — 

Joseph Thaddaeus 
Mary Thaddaeus 


Parents — 

Zebedee 

Salome Zebedee 
Parents — 

Alphaeus Cleophas 
Mary Cleophas 
The indicates an apostle. 


Children — 
James 
Joses 
Simon 
* Judas 
Sisters 
Jesus 
Children — 
* Jam e s 
*John 
Children — 
*James 
Joses 


From the above table we see that there are three 
Jameses. 

1. James Thaddaeus, spoken of as the brother of 
the Lord. Also as the brother of Judas, not Iscar- 
iot. This James wrote the book of James. 

2. James Zebedee, whom Herod slew. 

3. James Cleophas, one of the two, to whom Je- 
sus appeared while on their way to Emmaus. 

Judas, not Iscariot, called also Jude, or Lebbaeus, 
wrote the book of Jude. His surname was Thad- 
daeus. 

Some commentators, in order to meet Catholicism, 
and disprove the virginity of Mary, the mother of 
Jesus, have fallen into the still greater error of 
claiming that Mary was the mother of all of Jos- 
eph’s children. This cannot be true, as Judas, the 
youngest of the other sons, was one of the apostles, 
and, therefore, must have been older than Jesus. 

Table arranged by A. J. Edwards. 


168 


TABLES AND POEMS 


ODE TO A THIMBLE 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Deep in my mind there ever lingers, 

Sweet memories of the precious fingers ; 

Though marked with age, were yet so nimble, 
They could use with skill this precious thimble. 

Deep in my heart there is a sorrow, 

Grief and anguish I need not borrow, 

Bowed down with these, I can but tremble, 

When I view with awe, this precious thimble, 

Deep in my soul a calm reposes, 

Flowers, nor links, nor rings, nor roses, 

For patience and love, can not be the symbol 
I find it here, ’tis this precious thimble. 

ODE TO A LOCK OF HAIR 
By A. J. Edwards 

A lock of mama’s hair, clipped from her brow so 
fair; 

Made gray with toil and care, FOR ME. 

A lock of mama’s hair, token of love to share ; 
Hallowed by constant prayer, FOR ME. 

A lock of mama’s hair, in the Holy City, fair ; 

She is waiting, and watching there, FOR ME. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


169 


PLEADING 
By A. J. Edwards 

Listen children, closely listen, 

While I speak of a mother dear, 

Oft I’ve seen the tear drops glisten, 

When the death angel hovered near. 

How she fought the dark grim reaper, 

With her cares, her prayers, her tears ; 

And trusting in her Heavenly keeper, 

She brought you safe through all those years. 

Listen darlings, hear her pleading 
Though her form in death lies cold, 

Are you my precious precepts heeding? 

Come walk with me, the streets of gold. 

Listen loved ones, heed her warning, 

Satan seeks your soul to slay, 

Will you cling to him in the judgment morning 
Or with dear mother walk that day? 

MESSAGE SENT WITH FLOWERS 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Place the flowjers neatly on the dear mother’s 
grave, 

Sent in remembrance of flowers that she gave. 
Drop a tear kindly for tears she has shed, 

In days of deep sorrow, her loving heart bled. 
Speak a word softly, that she may know, 

We are patiently waiting, and ready to go. 
Breathe a prayer sweetly to the Father on high. 
That we may meet her, in the sweet bye and bye. 


170 


TABLES AND POEMS 


MY MOTHER’S SONG 
By George Keith 

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, 

Is laid for your faith, in His excellent word. 

What more can he say, than to you He hath said; 
Ye, who unto Jesus for refuge hath fled. 

Fear not, I am with thee; 0 be not dismayed. 

For I am thy God, and will give thee aid. 

I’ll strengthen thee, help thee and cause thee to 
stand. 

Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand. 

When through the deep waters I call thee to go, 
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow ; 

For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, 

And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress. 

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, 
My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply. 

The flames shall not hurt thee — I only design; 
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine. 

E’en down to old age, all my people shall prove. 
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love; 

And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn, 
Like lambs they shall still in m ty bosom be born. 

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, 

I will not, I will not, desert to his foes. 

That soul though all hell should endeavor to shake; 
I’ll never, no never, no never, forsake. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


171 


MY FATHER’S SONG 
By John Newton 

Amazing grace how sweet the sound, 

That saved a wretch like me. 

I once was lost, but now I’m found. 

Was blind but now I see. 

Through many dangers, toils and snares, 
I have already come. 

’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far ; 
And grace will lead me home. 

The Lord has promised good to me; 

His word my hope secures. 

He will my shield and portion be, 

As long as life endures. 

Yes, when this heart, and flesh shall fail; 

And mortal life shall cease. 

I shall possess within the vail, 

A life of joy and peace. 

This earth shall soon dissolve like snow; 

The sun forbear to shine ; 

But God who calls me here below. 

Will be forever mine. 

When we’ve been there ten thousand years, 
Bright shining as the sun; 

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, 
Than when we first begun. 




BIBLE LEbSONS AND LECTURES 


173 


SAD SCENES WHICH I HAVE SEEN 
By A. J. Edwards 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures. 

Copyrighted 1922, by the Author. 

Lesson XVI. 

In this world where there is so much suffering, 
we become so accustomed to looking upon sad 
scenes that we are apt to pass them by as just ordi- 
nary or necessary occurrences. 

We seldom walk around a city block without see- 
ing some object of charity; a blind man, or a blind 
woman, or some one maimed for life; at least an 
object of pity, perhaps on the mercies of those who 
are more fortunate. 

Some of these, as the blind fiddler, or the pencil 
peddler, are striving to earn a small pittance. 

We see so much of this kind of misfortune that we 
merely pass it by with a comment. 

I was in the insane asylum once — I mean that I 
was there as a visitor. The guide was kindly, 
showing us through that great institution. A 
group of women inmates were promenading on the 


174 


SAD SCENES 


lawn. Others were sewing, crocheting, or doing 
different kinds of needle work. And the articles 
were artistic and beautiful, too. Some were paint- 
ing or drawing, and the work that they were doing 
was remarkable. It was surprising. Four of the 
men inmates were playing domino; just having the 
time of their life. One big fat fellow when he could 
miake a count would come down on the table with 
his domino with all his might and chuckle like an 
oil man would were he to strike a gusher. 

It was rather sad, but amusing to watch them. 

I once visited the old Confederate home and put 
in a whole day with the “boys” of that institution, 
unfortunate ones. Some with arms and no legs, 
and some with legs and no arms, and some with 
neither legs nor arms scarcely. All kinds of 
maimed and wrecked beings. 

They seemed to be jovial; told jokes and spun 
yarns ; and in other ways passed off the time. 

One old fellow finding out that we were of the 
same name, desired to stay near me. He wanted to 
talk. And, of course, our conversation naturally 
turned to the immense wealth, the millions of dollars 
that awaited the heirs of the Edwards estate just 
as soon as the courts could get to the case to settle 
it. Also our great-great-grandfather, Johnathan 
Edwards, who, in those early days stirred the world 
religiously, with his matchless eloquence. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


175 


Well, had an ordinary man heard our conversa- 
tion, he might have thought that we had been placed 
in the wrong institution. Poor old boys. Dear old 
boys. That awful war. 

But it had to come sooner or later, so that the 
sons of the Northland and the sons of the South- 
land might find out that they were brothers. And 
the sooner it came the better for all. 

I once visited the blind asylum; the poor unfor- 
tunate ones from whom the light of day had been 
taken away forever. 

I watched those unfortunate inmates at their 
labor. They were making articles and utensils of 
various kinds. And it was remarkable the kind of 
work that they were doing. Why, some of them 
were making things that I could not have made, if 
I’d had four eyes. 

Two young girls, about grown, were promenading 
on the upper balcony ; walking back and forth, lead- 
ing each other. It was a case of the blind leading 
the blind. B ! ut I don’t think they fell into the ditch, 
for they were singing the song, 

I can walk and talk with Jesus 
Though I cannot see his face. 

I can feel his smile upon me, 

Near in every time and place. 

I thought this. Sweet girls, we who have eyes 
haven’t much the advantage of you after all.” 

I chanced to be in the court room one day. Court 
was not in session, but while I was in the room, the 


176 


SAD SCENES 


officers came in with a prisoner. The prisoner was 
a woman, and an exceedingly beautiful woman she 
was ; the very picture of health. She was probably 
twenty years of age. Following along behind them 
was her young husband, carrying in his arms a lit- 
tle babe, probably six months old. 

At first I didn’t know what was the trouble, but 
while the court was getting ready to try the case, 
the woman began to sing. Not songs, nor sen- 
tences, but words. I knew at once that the woman 
had lost her mind. 

Now you must know that insane people must be 
tried in the courts and condemned, as criminals are, 
before they can be sent to the asylum. 

So when court was ready, and the prosecuting at- 
torney began by saying that she was to be tried for 
insanity, the womian sprang to her feet and said: 
You say that I am insane and I’ll slap the face off of 
you. They got her quiet, and the trial lasted about 
thirty seconds. The shortest trial I ever witnessed. 

The officer led her away. The young hubsand, 
with tears in his eyes, and with the little babe, 
which had been cooing and looking on interestedly, 
in his arms, followed along after them. 

That is a sad scene which I have not forgotten. 

I once lived about sixteen miles from the county 
seat of our county, and I had set a day on which I 
intended to go to town. 

On the day previous a neighbor, who was a renter, 
came over and asked if he could go along on the 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


177 


wagon with me. I told him he could and to be ready 
the next morning ; I would be by after him. He lived 
about two miles on my road to town. 

I drove by the next morning. He came out with 
a jar of butter, his wife following him with a bas- 
ket of eggs. They placed them in the wagon, and 
he got up in the seat with me. His wife handed 
him a slip of paper with things written on it for 
him to get with the eggs and the butter. I noticed 
shoes and sugar and some other items on the slip of 
paper. 

Arriving at town I drove into the wagon yard. 
He got off the wagon remarking: I’ve just got to 
have some stimulus. He went across to a nearby 
saloon, and in about a half an hour he returned 
with a bottle of whiskey. I drank a little of it, 
and he drank a little more of it, and we went about 
our business. 

About dark I hunted him up at one of the saloons, 
and he was quite drunk. We took in the town for 
an hour or two, and at last we got over to a house; 
such houses as are not run this day and time in the 
wide open. We were on the walk in front of the 
house, and he got into a row with a big ruffian that 
was drinking also. The fellow struck him in the 
eye, knocked him off the walk out into the mud, 
jumped onto him, and was churning his head up and 
down in the mud. I sprang out there and shouted : 
Get off that man or I’ll shoot you. This was a 


178 


SAD SCENES 


bluff as I didn’t have a pistol. But the fellow 
jumped up, ran into the house, and he must have hid, 
as I didn’t see anything more of him. 

I got my friend to the wagon yard, and off to bed. 
During tne night he vomited considerable on the 
pallet, but we made it through till morning. 

Next morning we had everything in readiness to 
start for home. I noticed that he had bought noth- 
ing to take back. I said to himi: Have you got 
everything you want to get? The things your wife 
sent for? All the money I have, he replied. 

On reaching his home I drove out by the gate. 
His wife, followed by the little children, came out to 
help carry in the things. 

She was a delicate, pale little woman, but she was 
smiling. She walked right up to the wagon, and 
looked over into it for the articles. Seeing nothing 
but the empty jar and basket, and noticing his 
muddy clothes, she picked up the basket. She was 
still smiling, but I saw tears in her eyes, and her 
lips were quivering. 

That was a sad scene which I have not forgotten. 

Just as I dismissed my school one evening, there 
came a message to me stating that a neighbor was 
dying, and to come immediately and help them. 

The dying man was old, very wealthy, and an in- 
fidel, but a splendid good neighbor and citizen. I 
hastened over there, and found his daughter and one 
of the neighbors struggling to hold the dying man on 
the bed. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


179 


He couldn't speak so that we could understand 
him. But he was trying to tell us something. His 
lips were jerking and twitching, as he would look 
at first one of us, and then the other, trying to get 
us to understand him. His eyes were dazzling and 
ghastly, and such an unearthly look, as he kept on 
struggling. After two or three hours of demoniacal 
struggling, such as I never saw before, and pray to 
God I never will see again, his strength failed him ; 
he sank back on the bed; the blood rushed to his 
face, and he passed over. 

That was a sad scene which I have not forgotten. 

A covenant which Jonathan Edwards drew up 
in A. D. 1734. 

The people present themselves before the Lord, to 
renounce their evil ways and to put away their 
abominations from before His eyes. They solemnly 
promise and vow before the Lord, in all their con- 
cerns with their neighbor, to have a strict regard 
to the rules of honesty, justice and uprightness; not 
to overreach or defraud him in any matter, or, 
either wilfully or through want of care, to injure 
him in any of his possessions or rights ; and to have 
a tender respect, not only to their own interests, 
but to his ; and particularly never to give him cause 
of offence by wilfully or negligently forbearing to 
pay their just debts; wherever they may be con- 
scious of having in the past wronged their neighbor 


180 


SAD SCENES 


in his outward estate, never to rest till they have 
made restitution which the rules of moral equity 
require. 

They promise to avoid all backbiting, evilspeak- 
ing, and slandering as also everything that feeds a 
spirit of bitterness or ill-will or secret grudge ; not 
to ridicule a neighbor’s failings, or needlessly insist 
on his faults; to do nothing in a spirit of revenge. 

And further, they will not allow their private in- 
terest or honor, or the desire for victory against a 
contrary party, to lead them into any course of 
which their consciences would reproach them as 
hurtful to religion or the interests of Christ’s king- 
dom ; and particularly, in public affairs, not to allow 
the interests of party or the desire of wordly ambi- 
tion to lead them counter to the interests of true 
religion. 

Those who are young promise to allow them- 
selves no diversions or pastimes, meetings or com- 
panies, which would hinder a devout spirit engaged 
in religion, to avoid everything that tends to las- 
civiousness and which they believe will not be ap- 
proved by the infinitely pure and holy eye of God. 

They finally consecrate themselves to perform 
with great watchfulness the duties entailed by fam- 
ily relationships, whether parents and children, hus- 
bands and wives, brothers and sisters, masters, mis- 
tresses, and servants. 

Johnathan Edwards’ last words were: Trust in 
God, and ye need not fear. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


181 


EXPERIENCE 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures. 

Copyrighted 1922, by the author. 

Lesson XVII. 

It has been said that experience is a dear teacher. 
But we have the pleasure of knowing that what- 
ever is learned in the school of experience is not soon 
forgotten. 

Again, it is said of man, that he cannot see ahead 
of him as he can see behind him. 

Knowing these statements to be true, we readily 
see how very important it is that man should watch 
closely the experiences of those who have gone on 
before. And from those experiences, get a knowl- 
edge that will carry him over the same treacherous 
ground when he comes to tread upon it. 

Now, it is well that we know that these statements 
apply to the individual, the family, the community, 
to the state, and also to the nation. 

Profit sharing from the former experiences of 
others, in all these factors of civilization, is easily 
within our grasping. 


182 


EXPERIENCE 


In the centuries gone by, nations have arisen to 
the zenith of their glory, exercising dominion over 
all known lands and countries, completely controlling 
the affairs of the earth. And at the same time 
these nations were heathen and idolatrous people, 
who knew not, nor worshiped not the true and liv- 
ing God. Yet they arose to a dignity of power and 
glory almost unbelievable. 

Of such were the mighty nations of Babylon, 
Persia, Greece, and Rome. 

The question naturally arises. How did these 
nations attain to such eminence? And that, too, 
without any knowledge of a true and living God. 

Now, if we follow closely the onward march of 
these great nations, that just as soon as God's peo- 
ple came among them, or in contact with them, 
they began to decline, and soon went to dissolu- 
tion. 

Both profane history and Bible history bear out 
this statement. That is just on the advent of the 
true religion, as taught by the people of God ; these 
mighty nations failed. And as if to further in- 
crease the perplexity, they invariably went down 
before another heathen or idolatrous nation. Was 
it the fault of the divine religion? No. 

Can we assign a reason? Yes, it is this. Those 
heathen nations in all their pomp and glory, re- 
fused to accept the divine religion as offered them 
by the chosen people of God, who were sent among 
them. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


183 


God blessed those nations, brought them up to 
their exalted position, then he sent among them his 
chosen people to teach them the way of righteous- 
ness, of correct living, which they rejected to their 
woeful undoing. 

These past experiences of ill fated nations are 
now before us. And as it is with nations, so it is 
with the state, the family, and other factors of 
humanity. 


EXPERIENCE IN TITHING 

Following up the trend of this subject we would 
come to the question of tithing. What does God 
expect us to give him out of our substance? How, 
when, and what part of it should we give to the 
Lord? And what is the experience of those who 
practice tithing? 

Now I have heard the statement made, that the 
happiest moment of a woman's life was when she 
could say to her husband, I told you so. Well, 
I don't believe that satement. But I do believe 
that one of the happiest moments that come to 
some men, is when they can say to their neighbor, 
I beg leave to differ with you; or, I will have to 
take issue with you. Ah ! a chance for an argument 
is their supreme moment. 

Well, I suppose my chance for an argument has 
come. For I will have to take issue with some ot 
my friends on the tithing question. 


184 


EXPERIENCE 


Just here I desire to be perfectly understood, for 
we are on an exceedingly important subject. 

As an explanation I will give some of my own 
experiences. 

A good many years ago, the farmers in that sec- 
tion had made an enormous yield of oats that year, 
and had received a splendid price also. So I de- 
cided to farm on an extensive scale the next year. 
That is, I would plant one hundred acres of oats. 

I had been attending church some, and had heard 
a good deal said about giving a tenth to the Lord, 
and how the Lord blessed those who gave tjhej 
tenth of their substance to his cause. So I made 
a trade with the Lord that I would give him a tenth 
of that one hundred acres of oats, or ten acres of 
the crop. 

I figured it out this way. That I would make 
eighty bushels per acre, or six thousand dollars 
worth of oats, at the price they were then selling. 
Something over five thousand dollars to be my part. 

I sowed the oats, got a splendid stand, just the 
prettiest prospect. I began to believe that I might 
make a hundred bushels per acre as some of the 
neighbors had done the year before. 

But one night there bore down on that country 
a belated blizzard, and killed every sprig of my oat 
crop. I didn’t make a bushel. 

I don’t know just how the Lord got along with- 
out his tenth. I know that it sure went hard with 
me to lose my part of the crop. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


185 


Just a few years later I was at a church conven- 
tion. The delegates were discussing the subject of 
tithing. 

One of the delegates in his talk, made this state- 
ment: Brethren, I have sowed one hundred acres 
in wheat, and I have pledged the Lord one tenth 
of all that crop makes, and you will see that I will 
make wheat, too. 

I thought this : Brother, you may stump your toe 
on the same grub on which, I stumped mine. 

That was the dryest fall and winter we had ex- 
perienced, and wheat scarcely made a thing, his 
crop, nor any of the rest of the farms. 

You ask me: Did our vows or pledges have any- 
thing to do with the yield of the crops, or of the 
seasons? None whatever. That blizzard, and that 
drouth, would have come just that way, had neither 
of us ever been born. 

I got this lesson out of my experience, that the 
Lord cannot be bought. He is not for sale. 

Had I made the pledge, and sowed that crop of 
oats the year previous, I might today be depending 
on a tenth to put me over, when I should be plac- 
ing the whole of it at the Lord’s disposal. 

You ask me, Is it right to pledge a tenth of oui 
income to the Lord’s cause? Yes. Provided it is 
done in the right spirit. 

Pledging to the Lord and praying to the Lord 
are exactly alike. 


186 


EXPERIENCE 


There is a statement in that book which says : Ye 
ask, and receive not because ye ask amiss, that ye 
may consume it upon your lusts. Just on this same 
principle, you pledge and pay a tenth, or any other 
amount as to that, expecting to reap a reward in 
dollars and cents for your own lusts or greed, and 
you fail, and blame the Lord for the failure. 

That individual who pledges or gives to the Lord 
a tenth, or any other amount, and who, at the same 
time, in his heart, is holding the Lord responsible 
to return him a great increase in earthly treasures, 
is a failure. 

Now the Devil might pick him up and go on up 
with him, but that would leave him worse off in 
the windup. 

However, I will mention just here, that no in- 
dividual will ever give one penny to the Lord's cause, 
that the Lord will not return that gift to him with 
a fair rate of interest, no odds what the giver's 
hopes and expectations may be. 

But the cheerful giver, that one who says : Here 
Lord, I pledge you one tenth of all my income. I 
pledge you that much, and I will pay it, too. And 
now, dear Lord if you wish to return this to me in 
earthly treasures, I will use them as best you teach 
me to your honor and glory. 

But dear Lord, if you see that it is to my best 
interest to give me treasures in Heaven, I will the 
more willingly accept them there, for treasures 
there fade not away. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


187 


And now dear Lord, if this one tenth is not as 
much as I should give you, only teach me and I 
will give you more, even to the last mite, or to 
the last handful of meal; for it is thine already. 

Experiences in the separation of church and fate. 

Now don’t think that the printers have it wrong; 
that it should read church and state. Fate is the 
right word, as I expect to consider this subject in- 
dividually, and not collectively. 

Of course, experience in the separation of church 
and state, is one of the greatest of themes, and the 
untold suffering and the blood that has been shed 
by misguided nations, in their efforts to combine the 
two, is heart rending and appalling. 

But what of it individually? In that book, we 
have this question written : What is man, that thou 
art mindful of him? 

To put it in our own language, What is an in- 
dividual? 

To get at an explanation of my purpose, I shall 
mention this little incident. 

When I was a lad my older brother took me to 
town with him one day. While there brother got 
caught on the jury and I had the privilege of spend- 
ing my first day inside the court room. 

The case was of a fellow who was accused of 
stealing a pair of cuff buttons, and sixty dollars 
from his roommate’s trunk. 


188 


EXPERIENCE 


It seemed that the witnesses could swear to the 
cuff buttons, but couldn't swear to the money. Now 
on the jury with brother and the others, was one 
darkey. 

After the witnesses were through, the lawyers 
each made an enormous speech. I shall never forget 
how that prisoner looked, as those lawyers were 
discussing him, pro and con. 

I think he was like the darkey I read of once. 

The darkey was accused of stealing, and had stood 
his trial and the lawyers had each made a great 
speech in the case. After it was all over, someone 
asked the darkey how he liked the lawyers' speeches 
He said : When dat lawyer what 'fended me was up 
dar talking, I jes thought I was de honestest nigger 
in all de world. But I tells ye, when dat lawyer 
what 'fended the state got up dar to talk, befo' he 
got halfway through, I jes knowed dis nigger would 
steal. 

I think that was just about the way that prisoner 
felt about himself that day, when those lawyers were 
discussing him. 

But after the speeches were over, and the jury 
had gone out to the jury roomj, the darkey that was 
on the jury said to the other jurors: Now gentle- 
men you jes decide it, and I be wi' ye. 

Now the question arises: Was that case settled 
individually, or collectively? 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


189 


What is the experience of the individual in his 
relationship to the church? And what awaits him, 
when joined to, or separated from the church? 

I refer here to the church in its broadest sense 

However, just a word in reference to the church 
in its restricted meaning, would be in place here. 

We hear certain ones speak of joining the church; 
going to church, etc. Now what is the duty of a 
man in regard to the church as referred to here? 

For explanation, we will draw an illustration. 
Volunteers are needed for the army. A pressing 
call for volunteers. 

Here is one who desires to enlist and fight for 
his country. But he says to the recruiting officer: 
I will not put on the uniform. It takes up time, 
and it is cumbersome. Besides, I do not know just 
which division of the army I wish to join. And I 
can fight just as well without the uniform. 

The recruiting officer reasons with him that the 
uniform is a symbol of unity; portrays dignity; and 
represents clearly to the world the soldier’s posi- 
tion and place in the army. 

Exactly so, with that individual who would volun- 
teer his services for his Lord and Master. But 
refuses to don the regalia that denotes his place in 
the army of the Lord. 

There are those who say that they can live just 
as well outside the church; that they can do just 
as much for the Master outside the church ; that 


190 


EXPERIENCE 


it is too costly; and besides there are hypocrites in 
the church. Such as these are under the influence 
of Satan’s anaesthetic. 

We turn now to the church in its broadest mean- 
ing. The church our blest Redeemer bought with 
his own precious blood. 

Just here I will insert a few Bible paradoxes for 
a close consideration. 

1. I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor 
his seed begging bread. — And there was a certain 
beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at the rich 
man’s' gate, full of sores. 

2. Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her 
ways and be wise. — Take no thought for your life; 
what ye shall eat, or what ye shall put on. 

3. The wicked shall not inhabit the earth. — I 
have seen the wicked in great power; and spread- 
ing himself like a green bay tree. 

We could mention many more of these peculiar 
statements. Apparently there is a great mixup, in 
the various conditions, or fate of both saint and 
sinner. And we might be led to conclude that it 
is all a matter of chance, anyway. 

I will quote one more passage, which is this : And 
Judas went away and hanged himself. — Go and do 
thou likewise. 

But you say: You didn’t read the intervening 
lines. Exactly so, in those other paradoxes. Those 
who do not really understand them have not 
searched diligently the intervening lines. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


191 


We have seen the wicked, the wretched poor, both 
man and woman, down in the gutter, beastly drunk ; 
not sufficient rags to cover their body, thieving 
murderous creatures, who for a paltry dollar would 
shed the blood of their fellow mortal. 

We have seen the wicked, the wretched poor, 
both man and woman, down and out, struggling, 
and toiling for an honest living. The man facing 
the cold, braving the storm, enduring the heat, as he 
toils on at his business, trying to provide sustenance 
for his ragged, hungry family. The woman, with 
tired limbs, and aching back, as she bends over the 
wash tub, struggling to earn a paltry portion, with 
which to feed her hungry children. Zealously guard- 
ing, so that none may take it, her priceless piece 
of silver. 

We have seen the wicked, both man and woman, 
in pomp and splendor all wealth and luxury at their 
command, yet watching stealthily for some one 
whom they may victimize, or defraud out of their 
substance, and appropriate it to their own lusts and 
greed. 

We have seen the wicked, both man and woman, 
in pomp and splendor, all wealth and luxury at their 
command, yet watching closely for some poor 
mortal, whom they may help, or to whom they may 
give assistance. 


192 


EXPERIENCE 


We have seen the righteous, both man and wo- 
man, in abject poverty, children in rags and starv- 
ing, no home, no comforts nor luxuries of life. Yet 
they cling closely to the cross of Christ. 

We have seen the righteous, both man and woman* 
in happy homes, surrounded by every luxury that 
heart could wish, yet clinging closely to the cross of 
Christ. 

How can these things be? Does the God otf 
Heaven, or Heaven itself, church or Christianity, 
have anything to do with the fate of mortals here 
below? What can the answer be? 

From observation, and experience, we reason that 
there is at least a complete separation of church 
and fate. 

Man's time on this earth is as a flash of the light- 
ning, a break of the wave, as compared to the time 
he m^ust spend in eternity. 

And we deem it best to await God’s own time 
to make all things plain. Some day we’ll under- 
stand. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


193 


QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures. 

Copyrighted 1922, by the author. 

Lesson XVIII. 

Question. — Can a witch, or a medium, call up 
one from the dead to converse with one who is 
living? 

Answer. — We know positively that such an oc- 
currence did take place. It happened when the 
witch of Endor called up Samuel who was dead, to 
converse with Saul, who was living. How that witch 
of Endor did squall out, when she saw Samuel. She 
was not expecting him. And how Saul's knees did 
smite together, as Samuel stated the facts in the 
case to him. 

Some individuals in order to meet spiritualism, 
claim that positive statements in the Bible concern- 
ing the conversation between Samuel and Saul are 
enigmatical, and do not mean what they say. This 
is as great an error as spiritualism; and just as 
capable of doing as much harm. 


194 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 

Question. — Who are the Sons of God? 

Answer. — The Sons of God are Adam, and the 
descendants of Adam. The poor, wretched, lost 
beings of this earth, only, have the power to become 
the Sons of God. The meek and lowly Nazarene is 
not a brother to the angels of Heaven, nor to the 
sheep of other folds. But he is a brother to man; 
and mlan is a joint heir with him in those riches un- 
told. 

Question. — What do you consider Satan’s greatest 
scheme to wreck humanity? 

Answer. — Satan’s greatest scheme to wreck 
humanity is to get the sons of God to believe, and 
teach to the world, an erroneous doctrine, in their 
effort to confute or disprove some other erroneous 
doctrine. 

Question.— At what stage of existence does an 
infant become an immortal soul? 

Answer. — The answer to this question, when 
positively known, will thrill many a mother’s heart 
with joy. And it will chill many another mother’s 
heart with remorse. 

Jesus said : Suffer little children to come unto me, 
and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of 
Heaven. Positive proof that they were immortal 
souls at that stage of existence. 

Earlier, David, as he stood with bleeding heart, 
over the pale lifeless corpse of that infant, brought 
to its untimely death because of his own heinous 
crime, said : I can go to him, but he cannot come to 


BIBLE LEoSONS AND LECTURES 


195 


me. Positive proof that the infant was a saved and 
an immortal soul ; even though it had come to earth 
through criminal conduct. 

Still earlier. There lived in Nazareth, in Galilee, a 
virgin, whose name was Mary, to whom an angel 
appeared, and said unto her, Behold thou shalt bring 
forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus. And 
behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she has conceived in 
her old age, and this is the sixth month with her. 

Then arose Mary and went with haste into a hill 
country of Judea, and saluted Elizabeth. And Eliza- 
beth said unto Mary : For lo, as soon as thy saluta- 
tion sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my 
womb for joy. John the Baptist was just as miortal 
and human as any other child born of earthly parents. 
And he was at this time an immortal, living soul. 

Question. — How many different kinds of kingdoms 
are mentioned in the Bible: 

Answer. — Four. 

First. The kingdoms of men. Or such as are 
referred to in the statement, kingdom shall rise 
against kingdom. Or, the kingdoms [that Satan 
showed Jesus from the high mountain. 

Second. The kingdom of Satan. Scarcely a king, 
but a prince of darkness, of disobedience. Of whom 
Jesus said: For the prince of this world cometh, 
and he hath nothing in me. 

Third. The kingdom of heaven. That kingdom 
which was to be set up in the days of these kings. 
That kingdom which was at hand, when John the 


196 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 

Baptist preached his first sermon. That kingdom 
that was like unto a mustard seed. That kingdom 
the keys of which Jesus gave his followers. That 
kingdom to which Paul referred when he said, Then 
cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the 
kingdom to God, even to the Father. 

Fourth. The kingdom of God. That kingdom 
which existed before the days of Daniel ; before the 
fall of Adam; before the fall of Lucifer. That 
kingdom referred to in the statement, The Lord 
has prepared his throne in the heavens ; his kingdom 
ruleth over all. Also, Thy kingdom is an everlasting 
kingdom ; and thy dominion endureth throughout all 
generations. 

The kingdom of heaven, and the kingdom of God, 
are used interchangeably, each being a part of the 
whole. Just as one state in the union and the union 
itself may be used interchangably. 

Question. — Did Joshua command the sun to stand 
still? 

Answer. — Yes. Joshua commanded the sun to 
stand still, and the sun stood still. But we are told 
positively, that such a thing never happened before 
it, nor will ever happen after it, when the Lord 
will hearken to the voice of a man. 

The sun can pull off some peculiar stunts. I, 
myself, have seen the sun stand still, and I have seen 
him fall. I have seen him rise, and I have seen 
him crawl on up into the heavens, until he was over- 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


197 


head. And then I have seen him glide on down into 
the West and stop dead still, and after a while fall. 

You don't believe it? I’ll prove it to you. I was 
a boy, and was picking cotton, straining every nerve 
to get my four hundred. I had my task almost 
completed. There was a small black cloud in the 
West, and the sun had slid on down to that cloud, and 
had taken his seat there, and there he sat dead still 
on that cloud. I hadn't commanded him to do this, 
but it was highly in my favor, for I would sure 
get my four hundred now, for he was at least an 
hour high. But while the sun was sitting there on 
that cloud, perfectly contented, that cloud slipped 
out from under him and he fell, almost down to the 
ground. I was watching him. And when he at 
last set, and I weighed up, I lacked two pounds 
having my four hundred. 

Ah ! sun, many souls have stumbled into perdition 
because of the feat, you and your Creator, and 
Joshua pulled off that day'. 

Question. — Will the Jews ever exercise dominion 
over the earth? 

Answer. — I will not say yes to this question. And 
as this is not my chapter of opinions, I will not ex- 
press my opinion here. 

But I do know that in this twentieth century, 
the Jews are largely ruling the world. And each 
decade brings the nations of the earth more and 
more under their influence and control. But this 
influence and control is of the pen, and not of the 


198 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 

sword. And according to the decision of those three 
honorable judges, who handed down their de- 
cision, there in that little old log school house in our 
boy’s debating society, fifty years ago, the pen is 
mightier than the sword. 

And every year the nations of earth are com- 
ing more and more under the influence of the 
writings and teachings of those old Jewish writers, 
Isaiah, David, Daniel, Peter and Paul, James and 
John and others. 

But for a complete transition from the present 
condition of Gentile domination, to one of Jewish 
rule, there must come a complete change in the 
minds of two races of people. The Jewish race and 
the Gentile race. 

The Jew must forever get out of his mind, that 
desire for an earthly king. A king who would 
lavish more favors on the Jewish race than he would 
bestow on any other race, even to the Hottentots of 
Africa. 

There must pass from the mind of the Jew for- 
ever, that desire for worldly aggrandizement, or 
financial gains for his particular race of people. 

This for the Jew, who as a rule, has that morbid 
desire to get gain, will be a hard thing to do. Yet 
we do know some Jews who were not possessed 
with this morbid desire, such as the prophets, and 
the apostles. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


199 


Then there must pass forever, from the mind of 
the Gentile race, that disrespect they have for the 
Jewish people. 

Now I must admit that I do not have the high 
esteem for the Jews, at least some of them, as I 
am here advocating. 

But this disrespect was sown in my boyhood 
days. The very first pair of breeches that I ever 
owned that my mother and sisters did not weave 
on a loom, I bought at a Jew store. With some cot- 
ton-picking money, I went to town to buy me some 
breeches. 

I went into 1 a Jew store, but to save his life, the 
merchant couldn’t find a pair suitable for my age, 
and I was about to go. Vait vone moment, said 
the merchant, mlay be in de back, I vind vone dat 
vit you. He picked up a bundle and ran to the 
back of the store; presently he returned saying, 
Here ist de pants for you; shust der age, so very 
nice, and only tree dollar. I bought them, and 
when I got home and tried them on, they were 
big enough for daddy. But there on the tag, in 
plain figures, was the age, 13. 

Now this does not mean that all Jewish merchants 
would do such a thing ; nor that all Gentile merchants 
would not do such a thing. 

But in our heart, we Gentiles distrust the Jew. 
And the thought that the Jew, whom we naturally 
regard as a swindler, should ever exercise dominion 
over us is repugnant. Besides the Jew used to call 


200 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 

us dogs. Now to get rid of these prejudices, is 
going to be a hard thing for the Gentile world to do. 

But after all, are we not highly indebted to the 
Jewish people for what they have done for us? 

They kept the records, and they kept them straight. 
God knew what he was doing, when he called that 
persistent people to keep his records. And turned 
over to that stiff-necked race, his worldly affairs. 
He could trust them. 

And practically every line in that precious book 
has come to us as the gift of the Jew. 

And if we could have at the head of our govern- 
ment, such Jews as gave us that Book, would it 
not be better for all? 

But this can never be, except the Jew can fill the 
foregoing requirements. And these requirements 
he can never fill, except Jesus of Nazareth becomes 
his accepted king. 

Question. — What is an atheist? 

Answer. — An atheist is one who does not believe 
in a Supreme ruler of the universe. A true and 
living God. But assigns the creation to natural 
causes. 

Question. — What is an infidel? 

Answer. — An infidel is one who believes in a 
God of somje kind. One who has had some part in 
bringing about the creation. But this belief is not 
based on Bible teaching. Has not the belief of 
the true and living God as taught in divine revela- 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


201 


tion. Just a vague idea that there is some being 
superior to man. But the nature of such being is 
not at all clear to them. 

We frequently hear the assertion made, that in- 
fidelity is not hurting humanity much; that there 
are few people who do not believe in the existence of 
a Creator of the universe. 

Such statements come from uninformed persons. 
Those who have infidelity and atheism mixed. It is 
true that there are a few atheists. But there are 
millions of infidels. A great part of the earth's 
humanity is lost in infidelity. It is just as fatal to 
be without a knowledge of the true and living God 
as laid down in God's Holy word, as it is to believe 
that there is no Creator at all. 

Those who would live with him through eternity 
must have a true conception of him here; and ac- 
cept him as their Lord and his Son as their Saviour 
and Redeemer. 

Question. — Why is it, that in the parable of the 
lost sheep, the number that are safe, so far ex- 
ceeds the number that are lost ; when we know that 
the lost of humanity far exceed the saved? 

Answer. — In the earthly fold, those that are 
gathered into the fold are safe for the night, and 
the good shepherd leaves them that he may find 
one that is straying. 

In the spiritual fold, those who are gathered 
therein are safe for eternity, and the number that 
are gathered into that Heavenly fold far exceed the 


202 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 

number of lost humanity, now wandering in the 
bleak mountain of sin. Hence, the Good Shepherd 
leaveth those in the Heavenly fold to seek that which 
is lost. 

Question. — Why is it, that in the past, those who 
have done the most for God, have been required 
to endure the greater suffering? 

Answer. — I am rather by this enigma, like the 
little boy in school. This was in one of those early 
Texas schools. And the boy wias in a class to him- 
self, . and in the blue-back speller. He was spell- 
ing on the book. He had passed baker, and ban- 
quet, and horseback, and got over to luminary, 
four syllables. He started spelling it to the teacher, 
1-u-m-i-n-a-r-y. Well, what does it spell? said the 
teacher. The boy said, I can spell it, but I can't 
'nounce it. 

Exactly so by this enigma. I can see clearly, 
that it is just that way. Those prophets of old were 
stoned and killed, by the very ones they were striv- 
ing to befriend. And the early followers of Jesus 
of Nazareth, were killed or crucified by the very 
ones whom they were struggling to lead to eternal 
life. How can such things be? 

Perhaps in those eternal years to come, the God 
of Heaven has some way to make all things right. 
Some day, we'll understand. 

Question. — Are there inspired writers this day and 
time, as in the days of old? 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


203 


Answer. — Yes. But as in the days of old, they 
are scattering, and far between. Mostly uninspired 
writers. 

John Bunyan, whether or not there ever were 
literally such characters, and places as he says ex- 
isted, was an inspired writer, when from those 
prison walls, he gave us the Pilgrim's Progress. 

John Milton, whether or not Satan and his fallen 
followers ever did come together to devise plans 
to recapture Heaven, was an inspired writer, when 
he sat there blind, dictating those precious lines 
of Paradise Lost. 

Charles Wesley, whether or not it is necessary 
for one to have a place of refuge to which they 
may fly for protection in time of trouble, was an 
inspired writer, when from that angry religious mob, 
he was hiding in that deserted hut, and by that 
dim flickering light he gave us the world's greatest 
song : Jesus Lover of My Soul, Let Me to Thy Bosom 
Fly. 

Francis Scott Key, whether or not the Star Span- 
gled Banner has any bearing on the religion of our 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, was an inspired 
writer, when as a prisoner on that British ship, he 
gave to us the world's greatest national anthem. 

Question. — Do the departed dead ever return to 
this earth to converse with the living? 

Answer. — Yes. Moses and Elias, there on that 
mountain, talked to Jesus in the presence of three 
of his earthly friends. 


204 QUESTIONS AND ANSWER^ 

As Jesus died on Calvary, the earth did shake, 
and the rocks were rent; and many bodies of the 
saints arose, went into the city, and appeared unto 
miany. 

Whatever was possible that day and time, is possi- 
ble today if necessary. 

We must know, that any visit of this kind is 
strictly spiritual. And that it is intended to help the 
mortal being spiritually, and not earthly or finan- 
cially. Positively so. 

No visit from a Heavenly being ever was made, 
or ever will be made to a mortal being for the pur- 
pose of helping that mortal in a financial enterprise, 
or to reveal secret or hidden treasures. Positively 
no. 

Satan might don his threadbare angel suit and do 
this very thing, but I don't know. 

Should any mortal on this earth, receive a visit 
from a Heavenly being, and should then make capi- 
tal of it by talking it, that mortal casts an insult- 
ing slap into the face of that Heavenly being, who 
desired to assist him spiritually, and will receive 
assistance no more. 

On certain conditions dreams may become profit- 
able to us. Some years ago I owned a home, a little 
farm on a much traveled public road. This was 
in a country where those who dug wells sometimes 
struck water, but more often failed. There was a 
fearful drouth in the land that summer, and peo- 
ple and stock were suffering for water. I did not 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


205 


know what on earth I would do for water, for most 
all the tanks and wells in the country were dried up. 
One night in my dreams I heard these words, Dig 
a well on one of those little mounds below the tank 
and you will strike water. J saw the two little 
mounds just as clearly there in my dream, that 
night as I saw them next morning at sunrise, when 
with my tools in my hands I went down there to 
begin that well. 

Taking into consideration the needs of the travel- 
ing public, I selected the little mound beside the 
public road and began digging, and at twelve feet 
I struck an abundance of water. And in less than 
a week after I had that dream I had the pleasure of 
seeing those famishing teams, a dozen or more at 
a time, lined up there awaiting their turn to water. 

Possibly all those horses and mules that quenched 
their thirst at that well that summer have passed 
away, and many of their drivers, but the little mound 
with the well on it is there today, and will be there 
tomorrow to speak for itself. 

Also, the other little mound away from the public 
road without any well on it is there still, and in 
my heart I believe had I consulted my individual 
interests and dug my well on that little mound away 
from the public road, that I would have struck no 
water. And I would have lost my faith in dreams 
forever. 

Question. — Mention in order, the three greatest 
sins committed against God. 


206 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 

Answer. — First. The sin against the Holy Spirit. 

Second. The disbelief in God. One true and liv- 
ing God. 

Third. The disbelief in his Son, who died on the 
battle field of his Father, as the Redeemer of lost 
humanity. 

Question. — Mention in order, the three greatest 
sins committed against your neighbor. 

Answer. — First. Criminal assault in any of its 
forms ; force, threat, or deceitful promise. 

Second. Robbery, or murder, for the purpose of 
getting your neighbor’s possessions. This includes 
race suicide. 

Third. The cliqueing together of members of any 
secret order, representing high and lofty ideals such 
as the Masons, Woodmen, etc., for the purpose of 
shielding or protecting one of their members, so 
that he may go unpunished for a crime that he 
has wilfully committed; or to assist him in the 
winning of a verdict in the courts, to which he is 
not in justice or equity entitled. 

Question. — Mention in order, the three greatest 
sins that man can commit against himself. 

First. Intemperance in any of its forms; intoxi- 
cating drinks, overeating, oversleeping, overworking, 
etc. 

Second. A failure to acquire knowledge in all 
its formls as is within the power to acquire. Knowl- 
edge spiritually and worldly; such as the sciences 
and nature. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


207 


Third. A failure to drive away gloom, evil fore- 
bodings, etc., and to train his mind to look on the 
sunny side of life. 

Question. — What is faith? 

Answer. — Faith is the substance of things hoped 
for; the evidence of things not seen. So says Paul, 
the most eloquent speaker the world has ever known. 
This definition cannot be improved upon. 

We might state it in different forms, as: It is 
believing without seeing; or, believing before you 
see. But that is a hard thing to do. 

Thomas Didymus demanded to see the prints of 
the nails in his Saviour's hands; and to actually 
thrust his hand into his side. 

The scribes and Pharisees demanded a sign. They 
wanted to see. 

The world wants to put their natural eyes first. 
But faith reverses the whole affair. It turns it up- 
side down. 

Now for a clear illustration of an act of faith, 
we give this incident. Many years ago, in the quaint 
old city of Philadelphia, there was a group of men, 
wrestling with one of the hardest problems that 
man was ever called upon to solve. It was whether 
they would, could or should sign their name to a 
certain document, a certain declaration. 

And what school boy lives today, who has not 
read or recited those wonderful words: Will they 
do it? Dare they do it? Well, whether they will 
or will not sign that Declaration of Independence, 


208 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 

depends wholly upon their faith. By faith they 
sign it; without faith they do not sign it. For they 
cannot see the consequences. They cannot see 
ahead. 

In a certain cemetery there is a tombstone, a 
monument that has a double inscription. 

The mother in that home had died. The father 
was yet living. The sons desired to place a monu- 
ment at their mother's grave, but they would also 
desire to place a monument at their father's grave, 
and as he would be buried by their mother’s side, 
they decided to put up a single monument for both 
the father and the mother. One monument for both 
of their parents. 

But the father was not yet dead. And wouldn't it 
be possible that the father would go away to some 
foreign country and not be buried there. Stray 
away from them, and then the double monument 
would become a joke. Or if the father did not of 
his own accord stray away, in some great flood or 
fire, his body might be forever lost to them, and 
then in that way the monument would become a 
failure. A monument that showed the resting place 
of the father, and that father’s remains somewhere 
else would surely enough be a graveyard joke. 

Will they do it? Will they take the risk? It de- 
pends upon their faith in two things. Their faith 
in their father, that he will not of his own accord, 
drift away from them, and be lost in some far 
country. And also, in their faith in a higher power, 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


209 


that will keep their father's body from being taken 
from them through accident ; and thereby destroying 
their hopes and their desires. 

Will they do it? Will they take the risk? The 
monument proves that they did do it. That they 
did have the faith, both in their earthly father, and 
in their Heavenly Father. 

Thus it is in spiritual affairs. Our Creator de- 
mands of us implicit confidence in advance. We 
must take His Holy word for what it says, and sign 
our names to the declaration, if he would write our 
name in the Lamb's Book of Life. 

Question. — Are there awaiting the children of 
God, different degrees of reward in Heaven? 

Answer. — Yes — No. 

Well, whoever heard of a question, that could be 
answered with both yes and no? 

According to your Bible, here it is. 

Now, I suppose that after my readers have read 
this explanation of this subject, they will be like 
the negro Justice of the Peace was by the case that 
came up before him. One fellow had sued another 
one and the case came up before the colored Justice 
for trial. 

After the evidence was all in, and the lawyers 
had made their speech, the Justice scratched his 
head, studied awhile, and then said: Gentlemens, 
it will take me three days to 'cide dis case, but 
I will 'ventually 'cide in favor ob de plaintive. 


210 


QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 


It may take my readers some time to ’cide this 
question, hut I suppose that they will ’ventually 
’cide in favor of the plaintive. 

Jesus, speaking to his disciples, said: In my 
father’s house are many mansions. But Jesus does 
not state whether or not those Heavenly mansions 
are ail alike, or some small and some magnificent 
ones. And as we are not dealing out opinions we 
are forced to pass this scripture. 

Speaking further, Jesus says : I go to prepare a 
place for you. But again, Jesus does not make it 
clear whether or not it would be one place for all 
of them, or a separate place for each of them. And 
just as the disciples did, we must pass this up for 
future development. 

A certain husbandman employed laborers to work 
in his vineyard. With the first he employed, he had 
a fair, square understanding, as to the amount he 
was to pay them for the day’s labor. Which is a 
correct business principle. To those he employed 
later, he said : Why stand ye here idle, losing all the 
pretty day? Why not go and work in my vineyard? 
They say: Because no one has hired us. The hus- 
bandman said: Go on and labor, and whatsoever is 
right, at the evening, I will pay you. 

A very risky way of doing business, as at even- 
ing, there might be a wide difference of opinion as 
to what was right. Indeed, many cases of hard 
feelings, and even murder, have come out of such 
vague transactions. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


211 


But like thousands of hirelings do this day and 
time, they take him at his word, and go on and labor 
the rest of the day. 

Now when time for settlement came, instead of 
refusing to pay them anything at all for their labor, 
as often happens this day and time, he gives them 
more than they were expecting. Whereupon the 
ones he first employed, swelled up, because he did 
not give them more than they were expecting, also. 
Rht the husbandman quietly explains to them that 
none of them are being mistreated, and all passes 
off quietly. 

Now in making the spiritual application of this 
parable, it seems that they all received the same re- 
ward, and yet they did not receive the same reward, 
counting the time they labored. 

But it all grew out of the fact that the husband- 
man was generous and willing to do more than his 
share of the business. 

There was a certain man who decided to take a 
long journey. So he called his servants around him 
and divided with them his money, giving to each 
according to his ability to use it. After a time the 
man returned, and called on his servants for a set- 
tlement. 

They had made such and such gains, and two of 
them had actually doubled their money. So well 
pleased was he with the way that they had cared for 
his money, that he took them in as partners in his 


212 


QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 


business. So that they are no longer servants, but 
partners with him in everything that he possesses. 

But there was one in the bunch who had no re- 
spect for his master, no confidence in him. So he 
dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money ; 
that he might be dead sure to have his master’s 
money at hand when he demanded it. 

And he told the master what he thought of him, 
that he demanded so much of his servants, that he 
had hid the money, and that there it was, to take it. 

But the master rebuked the servant for his ac- 
tions, and told him that if he could not handle the 
money himself, that he should have placed it in the 
Bank, and received at least a little interest on it. 
The master had no use for such a slothful servant, 
so he fired him. 

The spiritual application shows us that one lost 
out forever, and the others received with each other 
equal rewards. 

Now there was another man who desired to go on 
a journey. He called to him his servants, and de- 
livered to them his substance. 

But different from the other man he gave to 
each, an equal amount of money. With no regard 
as to their ability to handle it. 

On his return, he found that some had ten times 
the amount entrusted to them; others five; others 
two, and so on. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


213 


So rejoiced was he over the way they had been 
faithful over these little things, that he took them 
into his business. 

But in this case, as in the other, there was one 
who did nothing whatever for his master, even hid 
the money in a napkin till his master should return. 
Of course, he received the same treatment as the 
first one mentioned. 

A spiritual application would prove to us that 
there is no difference in the reward of these ser- 
vants. 

There was a certain father who had two sons. 
Hardworking, manly boys. And he loved them. 

But the younger of these two sons, like many 
youngsters this day and time, had a rambling dis- 
position. 

He said one day to his father : Father give me tho 
portion of goods that falleth to me. 

And that generous father divided unto them his 
living. 

Soon the younger son took his share of the sub- 
stance, and drifted into a far country; where he 
wasted his substance. 

Being on the verge of starvation, he resolves to 
return to his father's house and become a servant. 

But the father receives him into his bosom as the 
son that was dead but is alive. 

Now both these sons sit thereafter, at their 
father's table. They eat the same kind of food. 
Wear the same kind of clothes; share equally in 


214 


QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 


every respect that father's love. Absolutely no dif- 
ference in the reward they are receiving. But how 
about their enjoyment? 

Can that son, who has spent his substance in rio- 
tous living; who has caused his father’s heart to 
ache and bleed; can he have the same enjoyment 
that he might have enjoyed, had he lived a righteous 
life? Dear reader, I leave it with you to say yes 
or no to this question. 

Now a parable is the likening of a spiritual, or 
celestial object or being, which we cannot see, to 
an earthly, or terrestrial object or being which we 
can see. 

And every point, or phase, of either one of these 
objects, or beings must have an exact counterpart 
or likeness in the other, or it would not be a parable. 
If there is the slightest difference, they are not alike, 
and if they are not alike, then it is not a parable. 

Making the spiritual application of the parable of 
the prodigal son or of the one who has lived an un- 
godly life, we see at once, that though the reward 
is equal, and the wandering one has been mercifully 
restored to his Father’s bosom; and though he sits 
at his Father’s table and gazes upon the wondrous 
beauties of Heaven; that there will be a remem- 
brance of the past that will mar his enjoyment. 

But says one : God will blot out our transgressions, 
and remember them against us no more forever. 

Yes, just as that loving earthly father ran to meet 
his wayward son ; embraced him in his bosom, placed 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


215 


a kiss upon his sin-cursed forehead; clothed him 
in the best of raiment; and spread before him that 
sumptuous dinner; so will our indulgent Heavenly 
Father receive us into his Heavenly kingdom; enfold 
us in his arms of mercy ; spread before us that feast 
of Heaven, and blot out our sins from his book of 
remembrance and like the indulgent earthly father, 
remember them against us no more forever. 

But listen, my precious friend, please listen. God 
will not blot out our memory. Abraham and Dives 
retained their memory and so will we. And like 
that wayward son, as he sat before that bounteous 
spread, we’ll remember. We’ll remember. 

And too, there will be those in that glorious 
throng of Heaven, whom we have injured, whom 
we have defrauded. We will look upon their 
Heavenly faces. Bht they too will have blotted out 
of their remembrance all malice, or evil thoughts 
against us. But we’ll remember, still remember. 

When that awful day shall come, and the judg- 
ment is set; there will be those turned away from 
that beautiful gate, who, had we put forth our every 
effort, might have been rescued from that horrible 
doom. 

They too, will have blotted out of their thoughts 
all malice against us; and as they turn away from 
that beautiful gate, we will look for the last time 
on their awe stricken face, and remember, forever 
remember. 


216 


QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 


In that Heavenly throng, there will be those who 
have come out of great tribulation, and have washed 
their robes and made them white in the blood of the 
Lamb, who will come forward with their golden 
sheaves and their beautiful crown all radiant with 
glittering stars; these they will cast at Jesus' feet. 
And the trials and the troubles, and the tribulation 
through which they have come, they will remember, 
forever remember. And the joy that it gives them, 
to place these trophies at their Redeemer's feet, they 
will remember, forever remember. 

When we have a clear conception of these precious 
Bible truths, how easy to understand that sweetest 
of promises: 

Lo I come quickly, my reward is with me ; 

To give every man according, as his work shall be. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


217 


OUR OPINIONS 
By A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures . 

Copyrighted 1922, by the Author. 

Lesson XIX. 

In looking up the word “opinion” as used in the 
Bible, so far as I can ascertain, it is used only on 
two occasions. 

Once when Elijah said to his people, How long 
halt ye between two opinions? 

Now I have heard a number of sermons preached 
form this text, yet I do not understand it thor- 
oughly. Just how that people could be between two 
opinions. 

And on another occasion, when that young 
preacher, Elihu, told Job that he had decided to ex- 
press his opinion as to the reason he was suffering 
with those boils that way. And that opinion of 
Elihu’s was a dandy one, too. Just as many of our 
opinions are this day and time. 

When I first began to get together the manu- 
script for this volume, I had no thought of writing 


218 


GUR OPINIONS 


any of my opinions into it. Fully expecting to con- 
fine myself to statements such as those through 
prayer and a constant trust to a higher power for 
guidance had come to mean more than an opinion 
to me. 

But the publishers informed me that I could have 
just a few more pages in the book for the same 
price as the manuscript would fill. 

Thus it would cost my readers absolutely nothing 
whatever to have the opinions written into the book. 

Now I would not think of charging my readers 
anything for my opinions, for they might not be 
worth the paper on which they are written. 

I have heard many lecturers and preachers stand 
before an audience expressing their opinions that 
I did not think worth the wind that it took to ex- 
press them. 

However, there is one class of individuals whose 
opinions we are supposed to respect, that is, the law- 
yer’s. The lawyer’s opinions. 

I remember a good many years ago, I got into 
trouble. So I appealed to a lawyer for advice. 

Said he: We make it a rule to charge ten dollars 
in advance for an opinion on the merits of the case. 

I paid the fee ; and the opinion amounted to this : 
if I would pay him such and such additional fees, 
he would take the case, and go up against them for 
me. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


219 


I paid the fees as outlined, but after two or three 
years, dragging through the various courts, I de- 
veloped an opinion of my own. 

Now, this all happened, too, after I had seen 
a certain picture that was sufficient to put me on my 
guard. 

This was a picture of two farmers who had got 
into a dispute over a cow. Each farmer claiming 
the cow. One of the farmers had the cow by the 
horns, and the other farmer had her by the tail; 
each heaving and setting to drag the cow his way. 
The lawyer, whom they had employed to settle the 
dispute, was sitting on a stool, a beegum hat on his 
head, a pail in his hand, milking the cow for all the 
milk was worth. 

Now this is not said disparagingly of the lawyer’s 
profession. Indeed, I believe the lawyer’s profes- 
sion is a real dignified one, when represented by a 
real dignified lawyer. 

That lawyer who will properly prepare himself 
for his profession, get an accurate knowledge of the 
law, of the statutes, and of the different forms of 
legal documents, deeds, conveyances, etc., and who 
will apply himself to keeping his clients out of the 
courts, instead of rushing them into the courts ; will 
be a blessing to any community in which he may 
reside. 


220 


OUR OPINIONS 


As already stated, the word “opinion” appears but 
very few times in the Bible. I suppose it is because 
those early writers dealt in facts rather than in opin- 
ions. 

Now, this is not the case in ordinary conversa- 
tion. Perhaps there is no one word of three sylla- 
bles in the English language that is spoken more 
times than the word “opinion.” Everywhere it is : 
here's my opinion; that’s my opinion; this is my 
opinion; etc., etc. 

But what do we know about it? Should we, on the 
witness stand, begin to tell the judge what was our 
opinion of the matter, he would quickly inform us 
that it was what we knew and not what our opinion 
was that was admissible. 

But not so on the streets, Where it is all opinions, 
opinions. 

As to the real value of opinions, we might notice 
the great contrast in them as held by different indi- 
viduals. 

The jury, after they have each heard the same 
evidence, and have looked upon the witnesses, and 
have each heard the same arguments in the case, 
will form widely different opinions and they value 
those opinions so highly that they will suffer them- 
selves to be locked up for days, away from their 
families and their places of business, before they 
will yield an iota. 

This is the exceedingly high value we put on our 
opinions. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


221 


The real value of opinions may be clearly set out 
when we note that our eminent jurists, with all the 
same facts before them, will hand down diverse 
opinions; the majority report, and the minority re- 
port. 

A close consideration of these 1 things leads us to 
the question : What are our opinions worth anyway? 

In answer to this question, I will say, that my 
opinion is that they are absolutely worthless. 

Now, with the clear understanding that the fol- 
lowing opinions cost my readers absolutely nothing; 
and the further understanding that my opinion of 
them is that they are absolutely worthless, we might 
now set out some of the most important ones. 

First, in order to show how readily the human 
mind forms opinions, I will mention an incident that 
happened in our town. A lecturer was delivering 
a lecture on “man.” After he was through, he gave 
them permission to ask questions. One in the audi- 
ence asked him how he accounted for so many dif- 
ferent colors in the human race. The white, the 
black, the yellow, etc. 

Said the lecturer : It is my opinion that when God 
made Adam out of the dust or clay that the dust or 
clay was composed of different colored particles, 
some white, some black, some red, etc. 

And in later years, the descendants of Adami took 
back after the different colored particles in the dust 
or clay; some white, some black, some yellow, etc. 


222 


OUR OPINIONS 


Now, I don’t like to form an opinion without some 
Scripture upon which to base that opinion. 

Now, this fellow had the scripture alright, so far 
as proving that God formed Adam out of dust or 
clay. And we might readily presume that the dust 
or clay was composed of variously colored particles ; 
and in the absence of any better theory, I suppose 
that we might accept the opinion. 

Where did Cain get his wife? 

Just this little incident in connection with this 
much mooted question. 

I was going home from church one Sunday, walk- 
ing along the street. On the other side of the street 
one of my neighbors, who was an infidel, and some 
other men were talking. 

The neighbor called me to come over there. I 
crossed over to where they were. Said he, I want 
to ask you a question. Alright, I replied, I’ll an- 
swer it if I can. Said he: Where did Cain get his 
wife? 

I knew at once that he had me. Thinking a mo- 
ment, I replied : I have a question to ask that I be- 
lieve is more important than that. It is this : How 
are we treating our wives ? 

Now, I knew that I was falling down woefully on 
my part of it. And from the current reports about 
him and his doings, and from the way he kept stand- 
ing there, looking down at the ground, I knew that 
I had him. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


223 


In searching the Bible for statements on which 
to base an opinion on the question, Where did Cain 
get his wife? We read : And Adam called his wife's 
name Eve ; because she was the mother of all living. 
Not that it was the current opinion that she was 
such, but that she was the mother of all living. 

This, of course, does not mean that Eve was the 
mother of all monkeys, tadpoles, burros, etc. But 
that she was the mother of all living souls. All 
earthly beings that possessed an immortal soul. 

Now Cain and his wife each had an immortal 
soul; or they neither possessed an immortal soul. 
There is no halfway ground. Absolutely no connec- 
tion between a being with an immortal soul and a 
being without an immortal soul. None whatever. 

So, we readily conclude that Eve was the mother 
of Cain's 1 wife, and that Cain's wife was his sister. 

But here the infidel's eyes stand agog. That Cain 
should marry his sister. 

Now Adam and Eve had other sons and daught- 
ers. Where did they get their husbands and wives ? 

One of those daughters of Adam and Eve chose 
to share her brother's sorrows in that far off land 
of Nod. 

Abraham married his half-sister. He tells us 
so. And she followed him out from Ur of the Chal- 
dees to an unknown country to help him bear his 
burdens and sorrows. 

So what is the use of letting the Devil boil us up 
about it and destroy our immortal soul. 


224 


OUR OPINIONS 


Of course, this day and time, when it is wholly 
unnecessary; and when the human race has so de- 
generated that not half of us can even live out our 
three score and ten ; such things would not only be 
repugnant, unlawful, and loathsome, but would be 
fraught with the greatest calamity. 

This fact is clearly proven by the great number 
of lunatic and idiotic kings and rulers of those for- 
eign countries. The lamentable condition of which 
can be readily traced to the marrying and inter- 
marrying with blood relatives and kindred. 

To what country was Cain banished ? Answer : To 
the land of Nod. But where is the land of Nod? Here 
again the infidel gets in one of his hardest blows. 
And he gets it from the Bible, too. 

Here are the Scripture quotations. And the Lord 
said unto Cain, And now, thou art cursed from the 
earth. Again the Lord said, And thou shalt be a 
fugitive, and a vagabond in the earth. 

Also Cain said unto the Lord, Behold thou hast 
driven me out this day from the face of the earth. 
And again, Cain said unto the Lord, And I shall be 
a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth. Flat con- 
tradictions in the opinion of the infidel; for Cain 
couldn’t be both places. 

Now, I know that in some way these Bible state- 
ments are true. And here is my opinion as to how 
it happened. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


225 


The expression, the face of the earth, as used in 
Bible language, has a similar meaning here as when 
we speak of the face of man or the face of a watch. 
It is not the whole outward appearance. 

And when the Lord banished Cain from off the 
face of the earth, he simply transferred him to the 
Western hemisphere, or the opposite side of the 
earth. And gave Cain an opportunity to develop 
this beautiful country; just as the other sons of 
Adam had in the Eastern land. 

Now, when the flood came and destroyed every- 
thing on the face of the earth except the occupants 
of the ark, the descendants of Cain probably es- 
caped, for they were not on the face of the earth. 

And my opinion is that the aborigines of America 
are the direct descendants of Cain. 

Bearing out this conclusion is their murderous 
disposition. A disposition to murder their brother 
without any cause whatever. Also their lack of a 
desire to properly till the soil, and, too, the brass 
and the copper vessels found in the old Indian 
mounds bear out the Bible statement that some of 
them became proficient in that line of work. Also 
they are beardless, which is a peculiar mark of 
the Indian. 

This, however, need not do away with the opinion 
that the inhabitants of the two continents did, in 
different ways, as time went by, cross from one land 


226 


OUR OPINIONS 


to the other, and became to some extent intermin- 
gled with each other. They are evidently of the 
same original family. 

Was Balaam a righteous man? A man of God? 
My opinion is that he was. But like many of us 
rather wish-ee wash-ee. 

Did Jonah actually swallow that great fish? My 
opinion is that he did. But he swallowed him bite 
at a time. 

B'ut I've got it backwards. Did the great fish ac- 
tually swallow Jonah? Well, that is another one of 
the great mooted questions, and one over which poor 
souls have stumbled. 

The Bible says that the fish swallowed Jonah. 
And we know that the Bible is true. But here 
comes one with the opinion that no fish or whale 
ever existed that had a mouth large enough to swal- 
low a man. Too bad that the Bible writers didn’t 
know more about the size of the whale’s mouth than 
that. 

But just here, I shall notice that class of opinions 
that admit that the Bible is true in every respect. 
They admit that the whale swallowed Jonah. And 
that he spewed Jonah out on the dry land; and all 
just as the Bible outlines it. But they say that it 
could all have come about naturally. Now my opin- 
ion is that such an opinion as that is a worse opinion 
than the opinion that denounces the whole story. 
It was just as much of a miracle as when Jesus came 
forth from the tomb. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


227 


Oh, those mountains, mountains, mountains, made 
of mole hills, over which millions have stumbled into 
perdition. We pass them and notice a few opinions, 
in which not much stock is taken by the infidel. 

What is the present state of the righteous dead? 

Just here, probably, is an answer to which the 
entire population of the earth agree; that they are 
at rest; that their sorrows and sufferings are o'er. 
All mankind agree to this one opinion. 

But of what does that rest consist? Here again 
opinions begin to multiply. 

Some are of the opinion that such rest is the end 
of their existence forever. Some are of the opinion 
that such rest is the end of their existence till such 
and such a time as God shall call them out of their 
long sleep. And as to the date, or time, that this 
will take place, there are many, many opinions. Di- 
verse opinions. 

My opinion is that such rest is the entering of 
that mortal into the joy of the Lord. That such in- 
dividuals are no more dead or unconscious of their 
existence than at any other time of their life. That 
in a spiritual form they pass at once from this 
earthly tabernacle of clay to a place prepared for 
them eternally in the heavens. And that there they 
meet with loved ones gone on before. And that 
thenceforth no tears shall dim their eyes. For they 
have accepted eternal life, offered so freely to all. 

What is the present state of the wicked dead ? 


228 


OUR OPINIONS 


I shall give here only my own opinion. That they 
are asleep. And just as unconscious of all that is 
transpiring as any one who is under the influence of 
a deadly anaesthetic. And that they will live not 
till the thousand years are passed. 

This need not, however, bar out the opinion that 
the soul which is sleeping under the deadly anaes- 
thetic of sin may at times arouse to a paroxysm of 
sensibility to their condition, as did Dives in hell, 
when he begged for a drop of water. Any more than 
a mortal who is under the influence of an earthly 
anaesthetic arouse at times momentarily to a knowl- 
edge of his condition and suffering. 

Where is Paradise? I mean the Paradise of God. 

I suppose that I share in common the opinion of 
most all of those who accept the Bible as an infalli- 
ble guide. That the first reference in the Bible to 
Paradise is that beautiful garden of Eden. 

Even Milton, who wrote what I believe is easily 
the worlds third book in value, makes the garden of 
Eden and Paradise identical. 

And he tells us in that book how Satan, through 
cunning and intrigues, slipped Paradise out of man's 
possession. Just as he will slip our immortal soul 
into his own possession. 

However, we are forced to admit that it is only 
our opinion that Paradise was ever on this earth. 
As we fail to find Scripture to prove it positively. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


229 


But we are quite sure that Paradise is not on this 
earth at this time. At least I have found no one 
claiming to have found it here below. 

Jesus said to the thief on the cross: Today shalt 
thou be with me in Paradise. 

Three days later he said to those women at the 
sepulchre : Touch me not, for I have not yet ascended 
to the Ftather. 

This justifies us in forming an opinion that Para- 
dise and the Father’s throne are in different places. 

Paul tells us, that he was caught up into the third 
heaven, and there in Paradise he saw things that 
were unlawful for him to tell us. 

Closing this subject, I will venture two opinions : 

My opinion is that Paradise is not now on earth, 
but somewhere within the bounds of the solar sys- 
tem. On some one of those beautiful planets, some 
of them hundreds of times larger than this earth, 
and far more beautiful. We look upon them as our 
pretty evening and morning stars. But they are 
not there for ornaments only. We are apt to have 
too small an opinion of these beautiful and majestic 
worlds, or planets. 

My opinion is, that the Father’s throne, around 
which will one day be gathered that anxious throng, 
as numberless as the sands of the sea shore, is far, 
far away, and is at the grand center of the sidereal 
system; and is the center around which our sun, 


230 


OUR OPINIONS 


with its retinue of planets, and all the other suns 
or stars, in their respective orbits, are hurling along 
through space at such incredible velocity. 

How does Satan look? 

I know absolutely nothing of Satan’s personal 
appearance. And to save me I can’t even form an 
opinion of him. 

Most all the old time painters painted him black, 
with a tail and no wings. 

But I have just read a book recently published in 
which the author severely criticises these old time 
painters for painting Satan with a tail. Remarking 
that it was absurd and calculated to do a great deal 
of harm. 

Then this author turns right around in his 
book he paints Satan white, with wings and no tail. 

Well, to save me, I can’t decide whether I would 
rather belong to a Satan who is black, and a tail and 
no wings, or to a Satan that is white, and with 
wings and no tail. 

My experience is that whether he has a tail like 
a kangaroo to help him along, or wings like a vul- 
ture to help him along, that he gets there just the 
same. 

Oh, those opinions, opinions, opinions of ours. I 
suppose when we all get all of our opinions written 
and published that the world itself will not contain 
the books. 

What is meant by the future punishment of the 
wicked ? 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


231 


We shall enter but a few opinions here. My own 
worthless opinion. The opinion of my grandfather’s 
grandfather, Jonathan Edwards and perhaps one 
more individual. 

As to my ancestor’s opinion, I shall let him speak 
in his own words as handed down to us through the 
last two centuries. 

He says: The world will probably be converted 
into a great lake or liquid globe of fire ; a vast ocean 
of fire, in which the wicked shall be overwhelmed, 
which will always be in tempest in which they shall 
be tossed to and fro, having no rest day or night, 
vast waves of billows of fire, continually rolling over 
their heads, of which they shall forever be full of a 
glowing, melting fire, fierce enough to melt the very 
rocks and the elements ; and they shall also eternally 
be full of the most quick and lively sense to feel the 
torments, not for one day, nor for one age, nor for 
two ages, not for a hundred years nor for ten thou- 
sands of millions of ages, one after another, but 
forever and forever, without any rest at all, and 
never, never to be relieved. 

These are the words written and spoken by Jon- 
athan Edwards two centuries ago. 

We have before us a book recently published, in 
which the author quotes these words of Jonathan 
Edwards, and in commenting on them he says that 
they foster infidelity, and drive sensible thinking 
men from accepting the truth, that such words are 


232 


OUR OPINIONS 


born in the imagination of fire eaters, that they are 
the works of the Devil and that they cause souls 
to stumble into hell. 

Of course this is the opinion of this present day 
writer, and he has not taken in consideration the 
fact that none of us know the future ; that it is only 
our opinions, and that each of us have a perfect 
right to our opinions as to the future. And the 
above words of Jonathan Edwards are just merely 
his opinions ; he says, probably so. 

Now as to sensible thinking men stumbling over 
these opinions it is certainly true, for men of this 
kind very readily stumble, indeed, that is the class 
that Satan works the most diligently to destroy. 

But this ought not to be ; as every sensible think- 
ing man has a perfect right to think for himself, and 
to draw his own conclusion, and most certainly he 
has access to the word of God the same as those who 
write and publish opinions promiscuously. 

There is positively no reason why one man should 
lose his soul because some other man has expressed 
his opinion on this or that. 

As to my own worthless opinion, an opinion that 
I ask no man to consider one moment when he is 
looking after his eternal welfare ; it is this, that God 
has prepared the lake of fire alright, but that he 
prepared it for the Devil and his angels and not 
for mortal man, that in that lake of fire, after the 
judgment the Devil and his angels will be cast head- 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 233 

long, just as the Bible says will be done, and also, 
whosoever is not found written in the book of life, 
will be east into the lake of fire. The same lake of 
fire that awaits the Devil and his angels await the 
nations that forget God; and those who fail to ac- 
cept eternal life while it is offered them so full and 
free. 

As to that lake of fire, I do not believe that Jon- 
athan Edwards has missed it far in his glowing des- 
cription, but unlike my ancestor I believe that the 
soul of that unfortunate individual will in time cease 
to be conscious of its existence. 

J ust as the mortal on this earth, when racked with 
pain and scorched with fever, will pass from life 
unto death, will cease to exist on this earth, and his 
body of clay will be placed in the tomb not to be 
annihilated, but to return unto the dust ; so will the 
soul of that individual, who has unfortunately made 
his bed in that lake of fire, and there racked with 
pain and burned with flames will in time cease to 
have a consciousness of their existence, they die the 
second death. 

But says one, the soul is immortal and cannot be 
destroyed. Yes that soul which has accepted eter- 
nal life shall not taste of death. God has spoken 
these words and God cannot lie, and that soul can- 
not die. But that soul who has been offered eternal 
life so full and free and without cost, and has stub- 
bornly resisted the Holy Spirit through all His in- 


234 


OUR OPINIONS 


tercedings, has not eternal life, and that soul shall 
die. God has spoken the words and God cannot lie. 

Listen, precious friend, please listen, these are 
only the opinions of a common man, and a very com- 
mon man at that. Please pay no attention to them 
whatever, but search the scriptures diligently for in 
them ye may have eternal life. 

Oh ! How we shudder to think of the time when we 
shall come down to the deep turbid river, and the 
time when we shall pass from earth, but how much 
more should we shudder when we think of the time 
when racked with pain and burned with flames that 
we will pass out of existence forever. Fear God who 
has power to kill both soul and body. 

Of course these opinions are worthless, as they 
prove nothing. But to be heirs and joint heirs, in 
the inheritance to all of these beautiful, wonderful, 
magnificent riches untold, is not a hobby, not a fal- 
lacy, not a delusion but is within the power of every 
living soul in God's heritage, be he rich or poor, wise 
or ignorant. 

Listen precious friend, will you shun the everlast- 
ing punishment, that eternal separation from God 
and love, and life and light, and lay hold on all that 
is good, while it is offered you so full and free? 
Will you? 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


235 


SOME THINGS WE KNOW 

There are some things which we surely know, 

That we are sojourners in this land of woe; 

That our days are numbered, and go flitting by; 
That this mortal body shall surely die. 

That soon this heart and this flesh will fail; 

That the dark grim Reaper will then prevail; 

That these active limbs and this fleeting breath, 
Will yield to that grim monster, Death. 

We know that our will is free to choose; 

That it is wholly with us, if Heaven we lose ; 

That eternal life is offered to all ; 

That it is solely with us if we rise or fall. 

We know that the pleasures of the young and the 
gay, 

And all earthly treasures will soon fade away; 
That we pass from this earth to those realms un- 
known, 

To reap in eternity, as on earth we have sown. 

That today, not tomorrow, is the acceptable time. 
To make sure of a home in that Heavenly clime. 
Then accept him dear sinner, this Saviour divine; 
Believe him and trust him, and Heaven is thine. 

By A. J. Edwards. 


236 


SOME THINGS WiE KNOW 


APPENDIX 

To Bible Lessons and Lectures , Copyrighted 1922. 

By A. J. Edwards. 

In the lessons and lectures written in this book, 
it has been our effort to state the facts in as few 
words as possible; and usually to leave the reader 
to draw the conclusions. 

And wjhile we have treated some subjects not 
directly bearing on Bible themes; and have tried 
to intersperse the lessons with wit and humor as is 
necessary to remove the monotony of a volume of the 
size of this work, there has been one central theme, 
one afvowed purpose, \ which is to counteract, as 
far as is in my power, the growing influence of in- 
fidelity. 

I must remind you again that this infidelity or 
influence is not the disbelief in God, but a disbelief 
in the divinity of God and in the Bible as his written, 
his divine, and his unimpeachable and his inspired 
revelation. 

To get at once before my readers the incentive I 
have for writing this, I will quote from one of our 
most prominent educators of today ; one who stands 
high up, and has following his name, both the M. D. 
and the LL. D. 

In his book he says “In points of view so widely 
different, it is impossible for Religion and Science 
to agree/’ 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


237 


He says, “No conclusion can be reached except 
by appeal to reason.” 

He says, “Religion and Science must both submit 
their claims to an arbitrament.” 

He further says, “Faith puts its claims above 
Reason. Faith deals in mysteries, Reason in facts. 
Faith tries to satisfy the mind with miracles and 
prophecies, Science rests herself on Reason.” 

It will be clearly seen from the statements of 
this eminent man that faith, unless it be backed up 
by science and reason as he sees it, is untenable; 
it is simply nil. 

To any such teaching as this, we must dissent. 

Faith and miracles, and prophesies, cannot be 
backed up by reason, from the fact that these are 
spiritual attributes, reason is an earthly attribute, 
and neither will back up the other. One being of 
Celestial origin, the other terrestial origin. 

.Mortal man cannot reason out the mysterious 
ways in which God moves, any more than he can 
tell whence the wind cometh and whither it 
goeth. Therefore to refuse to accept or to believe 
any of these so called mysteries of God, is to re- 
fuse to accept God himself. 

We will here quote from the book of this same au- 
thor, as follows : “Many good and well meaning men 
have attempted to reconcile the statements of 
Genesis, with the discoveries of science, but it is 


238 


APPENDIX 


vain. The divergence has increased so much that 
it has become an absolute opposition. One of the 
two must give way.” 

Though these statements coincide with the state- 
ments of Ingersoll, they are not UngersolPs state- 
ments, but are from the pen of one of our most 
noted educators. 

Plad they come from Ingersoll, or other professed 
infidel, the evil might not be so imminent. For 
they are being echoed all over the land by leaders 
of men. And yet we hear the assertion on every 
side, that infidelity is not hurting us much. 

Proceeding with quotations from this same author, 
he says, “The Pentateuch is affirmed to have been 
written by Moses, who thus gives an account of 
his own death.” 

And then he says, “No man can dare to impute 
the Pentateuch to the inspiration of Almighty God; 
its inconsistencies, incongruities, contradictions, and 
its impossibilities are so great, and it contains the 
most extraordinary contradictions, and impossi- 
bilities such as would destroy the authenticity of any 
historical work.” 

It is lamentable that such statements as these 
should go into print and be sent out into the world 
to be read by the rising generation of thoughtless 
humanity. 

I must admit that at one time I sawi it blindly 
and tried to believe it as this author does, but when 
I searched diligently for the truth instead of 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 239 

the contradictions, I found the truth. I found that 
instead of the proclaimed contradictions between 
true science and the Holy Word of God, that there 
was absolute corroboration in every detail. I know 
positively that there is not on record in any court 
in the land, the evidence of two witnesses that cor- 
roborate each other more perfectly than do God's 
two witnesses, nature and the Bible. 

And every other individual to whom has been 
given a reasonable mind, if he will prayerfully 
search diligently for the truth as I did, and not 
for the contradictions, will find it as I have found 
it, an infallible guide through this maze of darkness. 

I shall close with a brief notice of just a few of 
these “extraordinary” contradictions in the Bible. 

Again I will state that these lines are not directed 
to that class of individuals who say that there is no 
God. Satan himself pays little attention to that 
class of individuals who say in their heart that 
there is no God. 

Neither are these lines addressed particularly to 
that class of individuals who by force of intellect, 
and persistent energy, have attained to the high 
positions in our great educational institutions; and 
who have continued to partake of the tree of knowl- 
edge until they have attained to that degree of wis- 
dom, that they have come to believe that the “foolish” 
things written in the Bible, are not the words of 
Almighty God. 


240 


APPENDIX 


But these lines are addressed to the young of 
the rising generation, and to those who seek to 
know the way of truth. 

Extraordinary Contradiction No. 1. 

And Balaam answered and said, If Balak would 
give me his house full of silver and gold, I can- 
not go beyond the word of the Lord my God. Num- 
bers. 

And because they hired against thee Balaam, the 
son of Beor to curse thee. Deuteronomy. 

It appears from these two passages both refer- 
ing to the same incident, that they did and they 
did not hire Balaam to curse the Israelites. That 
Balaam did and did not receive the bribe. 

Here are the facts in this case. Balak desired 
to bribe Balaam, and in law and equity was just 
as guilty as if Balaam had received the bribe. Ba- 
laam desired to receive the bribe, and had Balak 
to offer up sacrifices. He coveted the honor and 
wealth that Balak offered to confer upon him, and 
tried in every conceivable way to get it. But his 
God said No. Balaam was guilty as if he had ac- 
tually received the bribe. 

But few of us exist, who do not in some way or 
the other find ourselves in this same plight, or pre- 
dicament, as did Balaam and Balak. 

The whole thing substantiates, rather than con- 
demns the Bible. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


241 


Extraordinary Contradiction No 2. 

And these signs shall follow* them that believe, 

in my name they shall cast out devils Lay 

hands on the sick, and they shall recover, they 
shall heal all manner of diseases, etc. Mark. 

Paul writing to Timothy says, Trophimus have I 
left at Miletum sick. Evidence that Paul did not 
believe or he could lay hands on Trophimus and 
heal him. Completely knocked out. 

While we are taught that those who believe will 
have power to heal all manner of diseases, we are 
not taught that they are able to heal all diseases. 
Were that the case then the disciples could go on 
healing each other and live forever. 

We are divinely taught that God will not do 
for us that which we can do for ourselves. It is 
only when our strength and ability fails that God 
steps in. Man's extremity is God's opportunity. 

Now in this day of enlightenment God expects us 
to depend Ion the laying on of the proper medicine 
that he has placed within our reach, rather than to 
be depending on the laying on of hands. 

And those who are waiting to see some sign be- 
fore they believe in the divine power of the 
Creator, will find themselves disappointed, just as 
those scribes and Pharisees were when they de- 
manded a sign of Jesus of Nazareth. 


242 


APPENDIX 


Prayer and faith have had, and ever will have 
their place in the estate of mankind, but man 
himself must occupy his proper sphere. 

We could continue an investigation of these ex- 
traordinary contradictions of the Bible, but it is 
useless. They all fade away when the light is 
turned upon them, just as the morning dew fades 
away When the sunshine reaches it. 

Again; I repeat it, that those who search the 
scriptures diligently, and search for the truth rather 
than for the contradictions will find the truth. They 
will find the word of God pure and undefiled and 
untainted in every detail. They will find it a cor- 
rect moral guide. They will find it a correct phy- 
sical guide. They will find it a correct spiritual 
guide. They will find it unimpeachable, and a light 
to guide them Heavenward. 

That beautiful home, the home of the soul, 

While the ceaseless ages of eternity roll, 

Each precious soul that has been born anew, 

Will rejoice evermore, that the Bible is true. 

The Author. 


BIBLE LESSONS 
and LECTURES 

By A. J. EDWARDS 


BOOK II 

LECTURE-MAN 

LESSON XX 


For Distribution by 

BIBLE LESSONS AND 
LECTURES COMPANY 

Fort Worth, Texas 


PRESS OF MARSHALL & BRUCE COMPANY 
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 



Copyrighted 1922 by A. J. EDWARDS 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


245 


MAN 

Lecture by A. J. Edwards. 

Author of Bible Lessons and Lectures. 

Copyrighted 1922, by the author . 

Lesson XX 

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after 
our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish 
of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the 
cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creep- 
ing thing that creepeth upon, the earth. Genesis . 

Is that statement true? Is that statement true? 

No words expressed or implied, spoken or written, 
have the all importance of these few words; none 
fraught with such weighty interest to humanity as this 
peculiar statement. Is it true, or is it false? 

In arriving at a verdict as to the truth or the falsity 
of this momentous statement, there are a few things 
that, though we would desire to know, yet we need not 
concern ourselves so much about. Such as the length 
of time since they were uttered ; or to whom they were 
spoken ; or just how long it took God to make the man. 
These points are quite unimportant. There was plenty 
of time back there. The question is, Did it happen? 


246 


THE CREATION 


Now, in discussing this question from the negative 
point of view, or on the theory that the statement is 
false, we might reason that none of us have at any 
time seen God. That other agencies might have 
brought man into existence as well as God himself 
could have existed. But the most plausible reason for 
rejecting the validity of the statement, is the fact that 
other statements in this same piece of evidence do 
not harmonize with this statement apparently. That 
is, other statements coming from; the same source do 
not corroborate this statement. 

Then if such be the case we must know of a certainty 
that the all important statement is false. If there is 
the slightest contradiction in the chain of evidence then 
the whole fabric fails. 

In other words, and to make it plain, if there be a 
failure in the chain of evidence handed down to us, 
and if that record is not pure and untainted, to the 
present date, then it is from an impure source, and 
we have no God. That issue is settled. For a God 
who is able to start a record should be able to keep that 
record pure to the finish, and if the record is not pure, 
then God is a failure. 

But says one, These records are in the hands of man, 
and may have become corrupt. Well, if the all im- 
portant statement is true, God made the man, and if 
God could make a man and put any backbone in him 
at all, he should be able to put enough of backbone in 
him so that man could keep his records straight. Be- 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 247 

sides God would be a failure if he would appoint man 
his bookkeeper and mian could not get a balance on his 
books. And if man has failed to get this balance then 
man and his source of existence are total failures. 

In discussing this subject from the affirmative point 
of view, or that God did speak these all important 
words, we must admit that the burden of proof lies 
wholly upon the affirmative side. We must be able to 
prove that there is no discrepancy in the records as 
they are handed down to us, that they are untainted in 
any way. 

That the burden of proof rests upon the affirmative 
side is clearly shown by the statement from the rec- 
ord, Go and teach all nations, that is, prove this to 
them. Show them the truth. 

This does not imply that all will believe even though 
they may be properly taught concerning the truth of 
the record. 

Returning to the all important statement we read: 
And God said — Now conceding this to be true, our 
mind is at once enlighted to the fact that this is a per- 
sonal God, a real God, one who has life, and one who 
can talk ; one who can hear, and one who can be heard. 

— Let us — Evidence that there were others with Him 
or about Him in the work of the creation. Commenta- 
tors have written many volumes on this theme, as to 
whom these were, and as to what part they were tak- 
ing in the work of the creation. This is rather irrele- 
vant merely opinions and cannot be proven. However, 


248 


THE CREATION 


we have heard a very plausible theory that this was 
the straw that broke the camel’s back, or the act of 
God that caused the mighty Lucifer to raise a rebellion 
in Heaven. But we do not know. 

— make man — Evidence that man had hitherto had 
no existence. Had never breathed an oath or a prayer. 
Had never seen the wondrous works of God. Of course 
if the all important statement be true, then evolution 
is a complete failure, as all other living beings had 
already been created before God spoke this all im- 
portant sentence. It is clearly proven that if evolution 
is true then the all important statement is false, and 
if the all important statement is true all manner of 
evolution is a failure. They can’t both go. 

— in our image, after our likeness — Of ‘course com- 
mentators by the score hop on to this, as to whether 
we do or do not resemble God. Well, I rather believe 
that God would be ashamed of most of us, but there 
might occasionally come up a real man, that God would 
be really proud of. 

— and let them have dominion — Well, we come to a 
very important part of the all important statement. 
We all know what dominion means; and we all know 
full well what man was to exercise dominion over. 

Now if man has come up through a process of evolu- 
tion he is now exercising dominion over his illustrious 
ancestors, whatever they were. For we know that he 
is exercising dominion over all things. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


249 


We know that whether he gets this authority from 
the all important statement or by force of good luck 
that he has the dominion alright over all things. 

It seems a little odd that there is no more evolution 
this day and time. Perhaps man’s woeful condition 
keeps all other beings from having any desire to evo- 
lute. 

Now if God actually spoke those important words 
as is laid down in Genesis, and created man in his own 
image, and that, too, after he had created all other liv- 
ing beings, then all other statements in Genesis will 
corroborate the statement, and not only in Genesis but 
in every other testimony purporting to come from the 
same source as does this important statement. And 
not only all other Bible statements but every thing he 
created will corroborate the same statement from the 
smallest atom of the creation to the most distant 
nebulae. 

And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of 
the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath 
of life, and man became a living soul. Genesis . 

Is this statement true? Is this statement true? 

If the first statement is true then this statement is 
also true. If the first statement is false then this state- 
ment can be proven to be false. 

If complete evolution is true then this is false, for 
man would not become a living soul through evolution. 
No animal is a living soul. 


250 


THE CREATION 


If animal life had come up through evolution to that 
degree of perfection that God would breathe in its nos- 
trils and make a living soul of it then the first state- 
ment is not true, for man would be already created 
all except his soul. 

So we are forced to admit that man today is simply 
an animal, or the two statements are true and God 
formed man out of the dust of the ground and not 
out of some advanced animal ; or that God had nothing 
to do with his creation whatever. 

If both the above Bible statements are true, then the 
whole fabric is true, for these two points cover the 
whole issue. They settle the question of the creation 
forever. 

Now the question confronts us, Is the Bible account 
of the creation of man true or false? 

The evolution of animals is clearly taught by both 
the Bible and nature. Nature proves it positively, and 
in the Bible we read, And God said let the earth bring 
forth the living creature after his kind, etc. The only 
difference in the Bible and nature is that nature does 
not tell us the origin of life; the Bible does. 

Now with the absolute proof that the Bible is wholly 
true or it is wholly false we might notice some of the 
negative theories in regard to the origin of man. 

First. The impossibility that God could make man 
as given in the Bible account of his creation. 

This of course forces us at once to say whether God 
can or cannot perform a miracle. If God cannot per- 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


251 


form a miracle then nature must do the whole of the 
creation, both man and beasts. If God can perform a 
miracle then he could make man any way he chose to 
make him. 

Now we all must admit that life has come into exist- 
ence, and the question as to whether life is come to 
us through a natural source or a miraculous source is 
now the vital question to be answered. 

If nature can produce life then God is not needed at 
all, for if nature can produce life for us on earth it can 
produce life in eternity, and we need no God. But if 
nature cannot produce life then life comes through a 
miraculous power, it is the gift of God. 

But says one. life started away back with the small- 
est cell, the smallest protoplasm. To such we must say 
that it is no more a miracle to give life to an object as 
large as a man than it is to give life to the smallest 
protoplasm. A being who can give life to one cell can 
give life to two cells, or any amount of cells. There- 
fore, if nature can give life to one cell, nature can go 
on up with it. 

It is clearly evident that life is of miraculous origin 
and is the gift of God. And that God could make Adam 
in the manner described or in an other manner he chose 
to make them. And we see no reason why the Bible 
account of the creation of man should be rejected. 

Says another, But there are scores and scores of dif- 
ferent accounts of the creation, accounts by every 


252 


THE CREATION 


heathen nation. And every heathen nation has its reli- 
gion, and its methods of worship, this 'would go to 
show that there is a failure in the Bible. 

Of all flimsy objections that can be brought up 
against the Bible I think this the weakest. With just 
the same propriety we might say that there is no gen- 
uine silver dollar because there are scores of counter- 
feit dollars in existence. This would lend color to the 
statement that there is a genuine counterfeiter of the 
Bible going the rounds. This phase of the question will 
be given further notice in the latter part of this lecture 
under the title “The Seven Struggles.” 

We will now take up what we consider the most seri- 
ous phase of the question of man’s existence here on 

earth. 

The question as to how long man has had his abode 
on the earth. 

If the two Bible statements heretofore quoted are 
true, then this question of time need not worry us in 
the least. Whether it was six thousand or six billion 
years ago. For we know that time was no object in 
the matter. God had plenty of time. Time has noth- 
ing to do with it. 

But here comes the trouble. Scientific men, the 
geologists, and the anthropologists, tell us, that is some 
of them do, that these Bible statements cannot be true 
because their science teaches them that man has been 
on the earth more than six thousand years, as man 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


253 


counts time. That the Bible narrative does not go as 
far back with man as their science proves that he has 
existed here on earth. 

Now let us notice closely these scientific objections. 

To begin with, the Bible does not state, nor even 
hint that this creation of man took place six thousand 
years ago, as man counts time. But it does state posi- 
tively that God created man out of the dust of the earth, 
and not out of an animal. This fact alone would res- 
cue the book of books from the onslaughts of the 
“scientists.” 

We know that God had the time, and that this same 
book says that a day with the Lord is as a thousand 
years and a thousand years is as a day. That settles 
that part of it. 

But should the “scientists” see fit to hold out for a 
real six thousand year theory, as man counts time, 
then we will require an investigation of their theory 
of a longer period of time. 

What does time mean anyway? As to my own ex- 
perience of time I will say ithat I have knocked out my 
three score years and am knocking out the ten, yet it 
seems scarcely any time since I was a little child rid- 
ing on my big brother's back to school. 

Yet when we come to think about it, six thousand 
years is a good while. Only a moment as compared to 
eternity, but it is some days. Only two hundred years 
back and this great U. S. was a very small factor in 
the world's population. See what it is now. 


254 


THE CREATION 


But says one : This population came from other coun- 
tries. Well, all those other countries have multiplied 
in population also. Where did they get their popula- 
tion? If from Adam's day, counting it six thousand 
years of our time, man had gone on increasing in num- 
bers in the regular order of things, and without war, 
then there would not be enough particles of sand visi- 
ble on the surface of the earth for each one to stand 
on and have a particle of sand all to himself. What? 

But, say the scientists, we go to the caves, to the 
moraines, and to the alluvial deposits of the rivers, and 
there we get positive proof that man has had his abode 
on this earth for hundreds of thousands of years. But 
are we quite sure that this proof is positive proof? Or 
is it opinions? We know that man is here, but do we 
know that our proof of his long time abode here is 
positive ? 

Taking the alluvial deposits of rivers for instance : to 
presume that these rivers have been running on in 
their present course for ages is stretching to some ex- 
tent our presuming powers. Why, we have case af- 
ter case coming up in the courts where states of our 
union are in law with each other, trying to settle their 
boundary lines that have been so changed in the last 
one hundred years that no one can tell positively any 
thing about it. Then what could occur to these rivers 
in six thousand years? Yet there are some who seem 
to know positively all about these ancient rivers. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


255 


Just a word here before going further with an in- 
vestigation of scientific research. May God bless the 
man of science, and bless and crown his labors with 
success and truth. 

It has been through the efforts of scientific men and 
their devoted and tireless energy that has brought the 
human race up out of that jungle of darkness, and it 
is through their efforts that Christianity today is able 
to stand. 

When Galileo turned his little telescope towards 
Jupiter and saw four of its moons, and told his neigh- 
bors about it, and the “church” put him in prison for 
it, and when the “church” passed the law making it a 
death penalty for any one to teach that the sun and 
not the earth was the center, ’twas then the scientists 
were having a hard time of it, but thank heaven they 
prevailed and lifted up humanity. But this word of 
caution : be aware that the same dark power that was 
then holding humanity down, does not lead you on to 
that point that you will hold Christianity down. 

Just here I will put squarely before you, both saint 
and sinner, the Bible injunction: Wherefore let him 
that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 

Let us now see what the morains have to tell us of 
man's abode on earth. Will they help us to arrive at a 
verdict as to whether the two momentous statements 
at the beginning of this lecture are true or false. 

Moraines or glacial drifts are the remains of rub- 
bish, dirt and rocks that have been drifted together 


256 


THE CREATION 


by ice rivers, that is, the deposits from glaciers. We 
find these drifts today in many places where we have 
congenial clime. And we find them existing today in 
their original icy state, where luxuriant vegetation 
has grown. 

Now, it is in these remains of ice drifts that pre- 
historic man is found ; his bones, his cooking utensils, 
his hunting and fishing articles are found here, all 
buried in rubbish of rock and dirt that has been in 
existence for tens of thousands of years. This is posi- 
tive. But it is positive that these bones, etc., could not 
have been mixed up with this rubbish in some upheaval 
or cataclysm within the last one thousand years even. 
We can’t answer positively: Yes or No. 

But it is to the caves that we go for the best proof 
that man is of remote antiquity. 

High up above the level of the valley one hundred 
feet or more is a cave. Here in this cave the anthro- 
pologist begins to dig. Down, down through layer af- 
ter layer of accumulation he descends ; bringing to the 
light from each layer the remains of man. Yes, man 
was there. And for that accumulation to form in 
that cave to the depth it now is would require hundreds 
of thousands of years. But man was there. 

Well, it seems from this that we are ready to say 
positively that man has been here on this earth for 
hundreds of thousands of years. The remains of man 
in that cave prove positively that man has been here 
on earth from time immemorial almost. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 257 

And this proof so positive puts the Adam and Eve 
story, and the Bible and all that are putting their trust 
in that book, in the greatest jeopardy, in the greatest 
predicament. 

Let us see. Now that cave is up there one hundred 
feet or more, and it is filled with those remains of man 
and his implements, to the bottom almost ; this is posi- 
tive. But can we say positively that this cave was 
standing up that way four thousand years ago? In 
this earth where there is, even before our eyes, rising 
and subsiding of portions of the earth's crust, some por- 
tions rising, other portions falling, can we say positive- 
ly that the mouth of that cave was not in no remote 
time, down with the level of the valley, where one or 
two floods could have washed all that debris into the 
cave at one sitting or two? Do we know it? 

We can have our opinions about it, and we can freely 
express our opinions about it, for we live in a free 
country. But for a man of letters to put out his books 
for the rising generation to read and to say in his book, 
that the Bible account of it is false, and not add to that 
statement that this is merely his opinion of it, is some- 
where lacking. 

As to the age of the earth, nature will readily prove 
to us that it is millions of years old. We know that to 
be a fact. Besides the Bible tells us plainly that two 
of G'od’s days passed after the dry land began to ap- 
pear, before the day came that he lit the torch to light 
the earth up. 


258 


THE CREATION 


According to the nebular theory, or the Bible either, 
the earth is much older than the sun. But because we 
can find man and his relics all mixed up with these old 
fragments of the earth, is not positive proof that they 
have existed as long as these fragments of earth. 

Realizing that the whole business is merely opinions, 
we might now notice some of the most worthy of these 
opinions. 

1. That away back there millions of years ago, we 
don’t know how long, some kind of a cell, we don’t 
know just what kind, got life into it, we don’t know just 
how, and that it increased, we don’t know just how long 
till it became an animal, we don’t know just what 
species ; and from this all the human race has sprung. 

2. Just like the first on down to the animal, when 
God breathed into its nostrils the breath of life, and it 
became a living soul. And from this man all the human 
race has sprung. 

3. The Buddhist, the Brahman, the Zoroaster, and 
scores of others of the East, who have a written ac- 
count of man’s creation, to which written account, the 
reader is hereby referred. 

4. The stone worshipers of the Cordillera mountain 
system of America, who say that the first of their 
ancestors they know about was a man who came across 
the great water from the West and had married his 
sister, and that when they died they both turned to 
stone, and for that reason they worship stones. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURES 


2B9 


5. The Bible account as given in Genesis. Though 
it is severely criticised by many of the most highly 
eucated of men today is in easy access to all, and I 
would heartily recommend it to every one for a diligent 
consideration. 

6. My own exalted opinion, of course. Well, I would 
not take a billion dollars for it. Yet I would not give 
a two-cent stamp for another one different. It is this : 
That the Genesis account of it is exactly as it reads; 
that there is not a tangle in it in the least item, that 
God did just exactly in every respect as laid down in 
the Bible, even the dust, the rib and all. 

I further believe that this creation of Adam and Eve 
took place near six thousand years ago, as we count 
time today; that is about sixty centuries of our time, 
and that all the human race of the earth have sprung 
up from these two humans. Now, that is what I be- 
lieve. 

However, I have a sneaking opinion that there has 
been on this earth, and placed here by their Creator, 
another race of beings, not our human race at all, but 
a pre-Adamic race, that they utterly failed to develop 
this beautiful world as God required them to do, and he 
destroyed them from the earth ; and it is the relics of 
that extinct race that we find so plentiful on the earth. 
We must remember that God came very near getting 
this human race for their slothfulness. 


260 


THE SEVEN STRUGGLES 


Now the part of my opinion embraced in this last 
paragraph I would sell quite cheap, but the first part I 
would not care to sell for money. 

Well, with the knowledge that man is here on earth 
alright, and that he has dominion over all the earth, 
that it is turned over to him to subdue, and that he has 
the power to subdue it, we might follow him up in his 
work of subduing the earth. 

Let us notice a few of the first questions asked on 
earth. 

1. Where art thou, Adam? 

The very tone of this question implies that Adam 
was not in his proper place. It implies that Adam well 
knew that he was in bad with his Creator. That he had 
within himself that attribute to admonish him of evil 
doings. And that he dreaded to meet an angry God. 

2. Who told thee that thou wast naked? 

Positive proof that man from the start had within 
him an agency or attribute by which he might know 
of his relationship with God. Every individual may 
know from his own self whether he is or is not clothed. 

3. Cain, why are thou wroth ? 

Here we have a despicable though common occurrence 
among men. One who has fallen down in the task as- 
signed him to do; one who has no one to blame but 
himself, yet he is wroth with God and all mankind. 

4. Where is Abel thy brother? 

This stern question followed by the one from Cain : 
Am I my brother's keeper? brings to us some peculiar 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURERS 


261 


thoughts. Man’s relationship to his fellow man, to his 
brother. But this relationship is carried through to 
eternity. We can’t evade it. 

I have been pressed closely in regard to this sad oc- 
currence. Why if God is all powerful, did he permit 
this murder? Can we answer? We believe we can. 
First, man is a free mortal agent, and can sin if he 
so desires. Cain so desired to kill his brother that he 
was permitted to slay him in the way he did. But God 
could have prevented it, we suppose. Then, why did he 
not prevent it? One reason for his not preventing it 
was, that a dread example might be made of this crime ; 
the perpetual banishment of Cain from his people might 
serve as a check to further heinous crimes of that kind. 
Another reason we are quite sure for God permitting 
this murder was that the angels of Heaven might know 
the reality of man, of his destiny. They would not 
have to wait several hundred years to realize what man 
meant to them. And when righteous Abel was wafted 
into the presence of that angel band there was some- 
thing going on in the courts of Heaven that moment, 
you may rest assured. 

Having taken a brief glimpse into man’s first efforts, 
his first ups and downs, or downs rather, as he starts 
out to subdue this great and beautiful world, we might 
now proceed to notice some of the heroic struggles 
man has had to undergo, in his effort to bring the 


262 


THE SEVEN STRUGGLES 


earth under his control. We have classed and divided 
these efforts in what we will call “The Seven Strug- 
gles.” 

Now there is a saying that a bad beginning makes a 
good ending. Now if that saying is true, then man 
should certainly wind up exceptionally well, for he has 
made an exceedingly bad beginning. He had been 
driven out from that beautiful garden of Eden that 
the Lord had planted for him, and he is now forced to 
start him up a little clearing of his own out there in 
the thorns and the thistles. One of his sons is mur- 
dered by another son and that son has been forever 
expelled from his presence. A bitter beginning, indeed. 
Does he give it up? No, not man. 

THE FIRST STRUGGLE 

It may seem queer to my readers that I should locate 
the first struggle of man away back even before man 
was created, perhaps. But such is the case, for man is 
the prime factor in this great struggle, man being the 
terminating point in the struggle. 

This struggle was a war in Heaven. While it is 
clearly evident that this war was the greatest con- 
flict ever waged between two opposing forces, yet it 
is described in just three short verses in the Bible. 
Here we are told that Michael and his angels fought on 
one side and the Devil and his angels fought on the 
other side, and that the Devil and his angels were 
cast out of Heaven and down with man, which would 
naturally lead us up to 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURERS 


263 


THE SECOND STRUGGLE 

Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea; 
for the Devil is come down unto you, having great 
wrath. Revelation 

Well, it seems from the tone of this statement, if 
the Bible is true that man has something ahead of him, 
something in his way. 

If the Devil and his angels could go up against God 
himself and give Him a struggle then puny man would 
not be in his way. Nothing to fear in man. Does 
man give it up and run off and hide? Well Adam ran 
off and hid from God. But does he hide from the 
Devil? No, not Adam. 

Man goes up against the Devil and the struggle is 
on. 

Now we are told by one of the world’s greatest poets, 
and though he was blind, seems to have been the only 
human that knew anything at all about this business, 
that the first thing that the Devil and his angels did 
after they bumped the earth, was to call a council of 
war to determine on the best means of revenge on their 
conqueror. 

After mature deliberation on, various plans, such as 
the recapture of Heaven, etc., they decided it most 
feasible to get out on the earth and knock out that 
little feeble human race, man. That would spite God 
considerable, and wouldn’t be so very hard to do. 

The second great war is declared and the second 
great struggle is on in full blast. 


264 


THE SEVEN STRUGGLES 


Satan, like any other great strategic general will 
have as his plan of warfare one special aim. Though 
he will take care to deal out injury to his foes in every 
conceivable way, yet he will have one line on which he 
will press the offensive. This one main offensive in 
this first actual conflict with man is to have them for- 
get God and serve other gods, or false idols. 

After a few hundred years of dreadful silent con- 
flict in which the mind, the will, the conscience, and the 
judgment of finite and mortal man is pitted against 
the shrewdest of adversaries, the darkest destroying 
demon, the fate of man seems to be sealed. He has 
forgotten his Creator. 

In this, if not the darkest, one of the darkest hours 
of the history of the world, and at a time when wicked- 
ness and crime is rampant throughout the earth, and 
the Creator of man has almost given it up himself, 
and is ready to destroy man from the earth and try it 
over, there is discovered a germ, a nucleus. 

Now we all know what a germ or a nucleus is. There 
is a little grain of corn, the rats may "gnaw its sides, 
chip off its corners, but so long as the germ of that 
little grain of corn is untouched, the grain is safe. 
Thus it was at this serious moment with humanity, 
the germ, the nucleus was untouched. Righteous Noah 
was that nucleus. 

Though the floods came and swept them into the 
kingdom of Satan, man was saved. I have oft times 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURERS 


265 


wondered whether Satan shed tears of joy when he 
enrolled them in his kingdom, or wept tears of anguish 
when he saw the nucleus safely sailing that stormy sea. 

I have heard it stated that Satan never sleeps, but 
I would very much like to know just how he and his 
hunchback followers spent the next few decades. Does 
he give it up ? No sir, not Satan. 

Time passes, men multiply, and they go out upon the 
breadth of the earth, build cities, lay out kingdoms, 
and all go off into idolatry again. But there is one di- 
vision, the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, 
the Israelites, that are giving Satan the fight of his 
life. But we must readily know that this people, sur- 
rounded on every side by idolatry and wicked and 
heathen nations, and subjected to the onslaughts of 
the most heinous and subtle destroyer that walks up 
and down the earth, are also getting the fight of their 
life. Will Satan knock them? 

God looks down on that jungle of lost humanity, 
v whom he has created and given independent wills to 
do as they please, and watches from his Heavenly 
throne a war that almost surpasses his own understand- 
ing. 

Yes, the children of Israel are now the nucleus. 
Satan knows it, and he marshalls his forces against 
that fort and the woeful war goes on. 

God loves that struggling people, makes them the 
sweetest of promises, proves to them time and again 
by his miraculous power that he and he only is the 


266 


THE SEVEN STRUGGLES 


true and living God; then he chastises them bitterly 
when they forsake Him, and lends them all assistance 
that he had reserved for himself in their creation, but 
the woeful war goes on. 

At last ten of the tribes God loved so well are over- 
whelmed, carried away into captivity and possibly 
swept into the kingdom of Satan, for we hear of them 
no more. 

Two of the tribes, the tribe of Judah, supported by 
the little remnant from Benjamin are given old Satan 
the blues. These are now the nucleus, and they, too, 
have the record, the book that tells how the whole 
thing started, and of the true and living God. Will 
Satan get them? 

At last these two tribes are also overwhelmed, car- 
ried into captivity, and mixed up with nations who 
have long since forgotten God. 

Surely Satan has the nucleus and the record now. 

Seventy weary years, of captivity, toiling for an idola- 
trous nation, and yet they come forth as gold from the 
refinery. What are you going to do about it, Satan ? 

’Tis now Satan calls a council of war, and this is 
just about what he says: Boys, we are fighting this 
stiffnecked bunch on the wrong line, we must change 
our tactics. It is true that we have all the rest of 
humanity safe for our kingdom, and this little bunch 
wouldn't amount to anything at all, but they have the 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURERS 


267 


record. It's the record we want and we must have 
it at all cost, at all hazards. God is still looking down 
on the dreadful conflict. 

A careful consideration of the plans for the next 
campaign would reveal to us this arrangement: 

Satan says: Now God has promised this stiffnecked 
people, a Saviour, a king. Now we will be content to 
let the world move on as it is, as we have all the king- 
doms of earth safe anyway, and we will put in the next 
few hundred years educating this stubborn people to 
expect an earthly king and when that king comes and 
refuses to fight for them they will reject him, possibly 
kill him, and then we will get them and the record, 
too, and the record is what we want. This leads us 
up to 


THE THIRD STRUGGLE 

Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of 
great joy, which shall be to all people. 

For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, 
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke . 

Well, the momentous time has come, the world's 
greatest event. And we are told that there was no 
little stir in Heaven, angels singing: Peace on earth 
good will to men. Shepherds from the nearby hills. 
Wise men from the east. There is something doing in 
Bethlehem just now. 


268 


THE SEVEN STRUGGLES 


And we may rest assured that in Satan’s camp there 
is no small stir. For if they can only defeat this new 
born king of that stiffnecked bunch of Jews who have 
the record, the victory over God is won. 

Rachael weeps over her decapitated children there in 
Bethlehem, but the little king is riding safely away to 
a foreign land. Satan and his angels didn’t get him 
as they so hoped to do. 

But when those scribes and Pharisees began to in- 
quire about this so called king of the Jews, and learn 
that he was born in a manger, and had grown up in 
Nazareth, they shook their heads and said: He’s no 
king. 

And again, when they came down there to where 
he was and told him to perform some miracle, and then 
they would believe on him, He refused to perform a 
miracle and told them about Jonah, and left them. 

And again, when he was hanging on that cruel cross, 
they said: Let him now come down from the cross, 
and we will believe he is our king. But he didn’t come 
down. Then they said: He saved others, himself he 
cannot save. But he didn’t come down. Surely Satan 
has got him now. 

Jesus’ devoted followers, the angels of Heaven, and 
Satan and his angels see him placed away in Joseph’s 
new tomb, and the great stone rolled against the door, 
and the Roman seal which it is death to break placed 
upon that stone. Surely Satan has got him now. Will 
he arise? Three days will tell the tale. 


bible Wessons and lecturers 269 

We fancy that if there ever were three days that 
Satan did not sleep these are the three days. 

Fear not ye; I know that ye seek Jesus, which was 
crucified. He is not here; for he is risen, as he said. 
Come see the place where the Lord lay. 

And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen 
from the dead; and behold, he goeth before you into 
Galilee; there shall ye see him:; lo, I have told you. 

Matthew. 

Ah, Satan, you have completely lost the first battle 
in this the third great struggle. Does he give it up? 
No sir, not Satan. 

Satan says to his angels : Now we will enlist the 
support of these stiffnecked Jews who are expecting 
an earthly king, and they will crucify every one of his 
followers, and then we will get the record. 

One after another of the devoted followers of the 
lowly Nazarene yield up their life in defense of the 
record, but others, even from a different race, step in, 
in defense of the record, and the Jews who have just 
rejected one king offered them, are without any king 
at all and they and Satan, too, are unable to get the 
record. 

It is here that Satan calls another council of war, 
and he says: Now we are not able with the help of 
this handful of Jews to stop this new religion, but we 
can do this, we can get off down here in some of these 
strong heathen nations, that will worship anything 
and we can tell them that there is one true and living 


270 


THE SEVEN STRUGGLES 


God and one only, that idol worship is wrong, and that 
all idols should be destroyed, and all peoples who do 
not believe that there is one God and one only, should 
be conquered and compelled to worship one God; and 
with the help of this strong nation and the help of the 
Jews who will not accept Jesus of Nazareth and the 
new religion, we can crush out the few who are stick- 
ing to that new religion they call Christianity and we 
will get rid of God’s Son and do away with that part 
of the record and defeat God at last. This leads us 
up to 


The Fourth Struggle. 

Now, while we clearly have the evidence that Satan 
and his angels left no stone unturned to hinder the 
reading of the record in every part of the land, yet the 
concentrated effort is down there in Arabia, where an 
idolatrous nation is cared for and made to prosper until 
it becomes a mighty power. 

Here in this country, in the little city of Mecca, is 
discovered a lad with a magnificent mind, a lad, who 
if he had have had the splendid opportunity of lads of 
our day and time, might have become a power in this 
world for good. 

Satan takes this lad, educates him, and instructs him 
in the ,true knowledge of what a true and living God 
would have him know. Yes, Satan is now squarely 
lined up with the one true and living God. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURERS 271 

Later when this precocious lad is well developed into 
a magnificent man, Satan takes him up to Jerusalem 
and there he gets a square look into what we would 
call, Civilization. 

Mohammed, for that is his name, sees here in this 
great center of civilization two great and opposing fac- 
tors, the Jew, teaching that there is one true and liv- 
ing God, and one only, and that some day they will 
have a king, a redeemer through which, and under 
whom they will rule the nations of earth. The Chris- 
tian, teaching that there is one true, and living God 
and that he has a Son, one Jesus of Nazareth, whom 
they say all the nations of earth should serve as well 
as to serve God. And teaching that this Jesus of 
Nazareth is the long expected Redeemer, and that he 
is already come, and though crucified and buried arose 
from the dead. And that the long expected kingdom 
is not of this world. 

Mohammed sees the vision, he gets the inspiration, 
and after his return to his native land, he goes into 
seclusion to study it out. 

Satan, in order to make it real, and to give it the 
proper tint, has this devoted, though deluded mortal 
persecuted, and driven from his home to other lands. 
Then he gives him the determination, and the neces- 
sary wealth to put in execution what he has determined 
upon. 

That is, that he will destroy all idols and idol wor- 
ship from off the earth, and compel every nation to 
worship the one true and living God, and him only. 


272 


THE SEVEN STRUGGLES 


Beginning with a handful of followers, as would be 
necessary to give it color, and under the banner, the 
Crescent, he goes forth into the wide world, and the 
fourth struggle is on in full blast. 

Victorious, Mohammed and his devoted followers 
push to the Southward, where all idols are destroyed 
and the population is enrolled under the protection 
of the beautiful Crescent. 

Pushing eastward, the victorious army, proclaiming 
one true and living God and one only, swept all before 
them ; even whole armies of Buddhists, and Brahmins, 
were lined up, and when told to renounce their idols 
and their heathen religion, and acknowledge the one 
true and living God, and Mohammed as his prophet, 
meekly submitted. 

Pushing westward, they come to the great Red Sea, 
that Pharaoh’s magnificent army tried to cross and 
failed. But the Crescent that is proclaiming the one 
true and living God, and one only, a God in which the 
mighty armies of Pharaoh were not trusting, when 
they tried it, crossed over, and into Darkest Africa 
marched victorious, enrolling the millions under the 
protection of the Crescent, and the prophet. 

And though the most noble prophet, Mohammed, had 
long since passed to his reward, others, just as ready 
and willing to give their life and all, to crush out idola- 
try, and establish the world-wide worship of the one 
true and living God, and one only, were ready to take 
his place, and die for the glorious Crescent. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURERS 


273 


Pushing on up northward to the Holy Land, Pales- 
tine, the Crescent meets with its first even slight re- 
versal. They find that the mighty city Jerusalem, has 
been overrun by a great northern power, and not one 
stone scarcely has been left upon another, and the Jews, 
whom they have been expecting to take up the defense 
of the one true and living God, and him only, and who 
would aid them in the destruction of idolatry from 
the earth, have been expelled from the country, and 
have been scattered to the four winds of the earth, 
and have become a hiss and a byword in every land of 
the earth. 

Undaunted by this, however, they carry the beauti- 
ful crescent on up there, and plant it triumphantly, on 
the southern shore of the Great Sea, and they look 
northward and wonder if there be any idols in that 
northern land. 

Just here the author will insert certain correspond- 
ence, and though the correspondence is not verbatim, 
and is condensed, as the author can condense it, and 
yet retain its full significance, is self explanatory. 

Here is the correspondence, condensed: 

Most Venerable Pontiff: 

You will confer a great favor upon the Crescent and 
the Caliph, if you will state your position upon the 
proposition of having all idolatrous worship stamped 
out of the earth; also, your position in regard to re- 
nouncing Christianity, and having all people, nations. 


274 


THE SEVEN STRUGGLES 


and tongues serve the one true and living God, and 
him only, and acknowledging the revered Mohammed 
as his prophet. Yours Reverently, 

The Caliph. 


The Reply. 

Most Beneficent Caliph : 

Your most affectionate friend, the Pontiff, together 
with all his most obedient subjects, will vie with you 
and your obedient followers in extirpating from earth 
all idolatrous worship. 

And most beneficent Caliph, for you and your suc- 
cess we will ever lift our voice to God in prayer, that 
this abomination before the Lord may be removed 
from earth. 

Most beneficent Caliph, would it be satisfactory to 
your Honor and your Majesty, for you to take all the 
earth on the south side of the Great Sea, and compel all 
people, nations and tongues, to acknowledge the true 
and living God, and Mohammed as his prophet, while 
we will take all lands on the north side of the Great 
Sea, and drive out all idolatrous worship, and compel 
all people, nations, and tongues, to worship the true 
and living God, his blessed Son and the Virgin Mary. 

Yours in Reverence, 


The Pontiff. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURERS 


275 


The Reply. 

Most Venerable Pontiff : 

The Crescent will cleave the skull of every one who 
says : God has a Som 

Yours Reverently, 

The Caliph. 

Well, as much as we have read about man, and as 
little as we know about man, there is one thing that 
we do know about man, that is, he will die for his reli- 
gion, be that religion true or false. 

Consequently, the glorious Crescent sails out over 
the Great Sea ; is carried into the city of seven hills, 
where it takes the place of the humiliated Cross, 
where it streams from the domes of those ancient 
cathedrals, built those centuries ago by the representa- 
tives of Christianity. 

And now the cleaving of skulls is on in full blast, 
great libraries go up in flames in order to get the rec- 
ord, and darkness is again upon the face of the deep. 

Westward the empire of the glorious Crescent takes 
its course. Past the foothills of the snowy Alps, 
through all the isles of that great deep sea, through- 
out Spain where the people bow in submission to the 
glorious Crescent. But it does not stop yet. Over in 
to Gaul, where the people drink the gall of wormwood, 
the Crescent is firmly planted. 

Surely the true and the living God, and one only 
has prevailed. 


276 


THE SEVEN STRUGGLES 


Surely the flames that have licked up those magni- 
ficent libraries have also licked up the record that tells 
how it happened in the beginning. Surely Satan has 
won out victorious at last. 

Are there any others who will dare say that God has 
a Son? 

Well, yes. Just over the mountain, right hard by, is 
a sect, a remnant that say God has a Son, and his 
name is Christ Jesus. 

The glorious Crescent again moves forward fol- 
lowed by those hordes of dusky Arabs, they pour 
through the mountain passes, out into that lovely 
valley, where that magnificent dusky army meets the 
nucleus, led by one Charles the Hammer, and that 
nucleus gives to that glorious Crescent one of the most 
glorious drubbings that any glorious flag ever got on 
this mundane sphere. 

Those dusky Moslems turn their heels toward Ice- 
land, their toes homeward, and they make old Mother 
time smile as they gain upon her. 

Yes, the Son of God is safe, Christianity is safe, the 
record is safe, the nucleus is safe, and the venerable 
Pontiff himself has been rescued. 

We fancy that the God of Heaven looked down from 
his beautiful throne and said to his angles: Well, I 
wouldn't hardly have thought it myself. 

And Satan with tears streaming said' to his angels : 
Well what on earth did God make man out of anyway? 
Did he give it up? No sir, not Satan. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURERS 


277 


Lest my readers should conclude that I have no mind 
for the side issues, I will depart from the regular line 
of thought, that of the struggle for the record, and 
mention this incident. A small portion of this great 
Moslem army withdrew from the struggle, went down 
there in Southern Spain, and in that Heaven blessed 
country, they began to build them homes, saying: We 
believe in one true and living God, but as to whether 
Mohammed, or Christ Jesus is the prophet, we know 
not, we will let them settle that. As for us we will 
build us some beautiful homes here in this beautiful 
land. As years went by there sprang up there in beau- 
tiful Andalusia a veritable Garden of Eden. Oh, such 
beautiful homes, as were there in that lovely land. 

Now Satan doesn't like that kind of business. He 
gets him up a horde of church members ; they go down 
there and drive out those peaceful unprotected Moors. 
Drive them, fathers, mothers, husbands, wives and 
children, across the sea into darkest Africa, to begin 
anew. 

Yes, Satan gets them also, out of their beautiful 
Garden of Eden. 

And yet we meet up with smart men who say there 
is no such fellow as Satan. 

But we must stick to our subject — the struggle for 
the record. And this leads us up to 


278 


THE SEVEN STRUGGLES 


The Fifth Struggle. 

Satan as usual calls a council of war, and if what 
occurred during the next few centuries, is any indica- 
tion of what that council decided upon, here is the pro- 
gram for the campaign. That they will not try, parti- 
cularly try, to get the nations to forget God. That they 
will not try further to destroy idolatrous worship. 
That they will not try further to do away with God’s 
Son. And they will not try longer to get the record 
out of man’s possession. But they will go among men 
and stir them up one against the other, people against 
people, nation against nation until no one can have an 
opportunity to read or teach the record and by this 
plan they will get most all the human beings who come 
on to the earth hereafter, and thus defeat God at last. 

Well, if nation arising against nation, and kingdom 
against kingdom and church against church, can be 
considered a struggle, then the fifth great struggle is 
on in full blast. To even mention the names of the 
wars, would require a volume almost. Possibly there 
are those who do not believe that Satan and his angels 
had anything to do with the shedding of the blood that 
flowed out on the sands during those few centuries, 
but I can’t see it that way. 

We know that those who would teach the true and 
undefiled word of God during those trying years were 
sorely oppressed. Why, they were not permitted to 
believe them hardly, much less teach them to others. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURERS 


279 


But at last, ground down by religious persecution, 
some of them decide to seek refuge from oppression 
in the newly discovered lands. 

With their scant worldly possessions, their precious 
children and what is still more precious, the record, 
they trust themselves and all that is dear to them, in 
those frail ships, the Mayflower, and others, upon the 
bosom of that great wide ocean, to go in search of a 
land where they can worship God and his blessed Son, 
as their conscience tells them is proper. 

After weary months of drifting upon the bosom of 
the deep, they reach the haven of safety. 

In our mind we see those precious mortals, as they 
step out of those frail barks, onto the rocks, they lift 
high their hand in which they clasp the record, and 
praise God for their deliverance. 

Of course these little bands of pilgrims do not escape 
Satan’s notice, but what will they amount to in that 
far away land beyond the deep blue sea. So the strug- 
gle goes on in full blast in the old world. 

Now one thing that has helped me to believe in a 
true and living God, is that I believe in a true and 
living Satan, and one thing that has helped me to be- 
lieve in a true and living Satan, is that he is not per- 
fect. He makes blunders. Well if Satan ever made a 
blunder, he made one when he let that little band of 
pilgrims escape to the new world with the record. 

Years go by, the little pilgrim bands grow into set- 
tlements, the settlements grow in to colonies, the 


280 


THE SEVEN STRUGGLES 


colonies grow into states, and into a commonwealth 
that is now able to send the record back to those de- 
luded nations. The New World is now able to assist 
the old world by sending them the record, by sending 
them the gospel of the crucified Lord. 

Now I believe in a real live personal Satan. I have 
had too miuch dealings with Satan not to believe in him 
as a personal Satan. But in my heart I doubt if Satan 
ever thought that such a thing would happen at any 
time that the time would come when the people of 
the New World would send the gospel to those nations 
he had kept wrapped up in darkness, and superstition. 
But the time has come and the next thing for Satan 
is to stop it. This leads us up to 

The Sixth Struggle. 

There are many who believe there is no such being 
as Satan. There are many who believe Satan is some 
kind of mysterious evil influence permeating space. 
There are many who believe Satan is a real live active 
being, going up and down the earth seeking whom he 
may devour. 

But there are few who have the real accurate knowl- 
edge of Satan, as he really is, and of his power to 
wreck and destroy humanity. 

There are many who would say that none but the 
simple would presume to speak of Satan in regard to 
the tactics, or schemes he devises to carry on his of- 
fensive warfare against humanity. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURERS 281 

We rather believe that to presume to speak of the 
tactics of Satan, or of his campaigns in advance of 
these campaigns, would be stretching our presuming 
power to some extent. But after these campaigns 
have been waged to a finish, we feel that we can dis- 
cuss them. 

As an example, there is a strong fortress over there, 
protected by all the munitions of war, and under the 
care of a great strategic general, backed up by a deter- 
mined and resolute army of soldiers. 

Around this seemingly impregnable fortress is drawn 
up a great besieging army, led by another great 
strategic general, backed up by a determined and re- 
solute army of soldiers. 

Now to presume as to what will be the tactics of that 
besieging general in reducing that fortress, would be 
folly, the only scheme useful to the besieged, is eternal 
vigilance. 

A council of war is called, the plans are mapped out, 
the campaign arranged for. During the still hours of 
some dark and dreary night, when perhaps the light- 
ning is flashing and the rain is pattering, the cannons 
suddenly burst forth on the very weakest place, in that 
great fortress. The tactics of the besieging army now 
coming to be known, all the forces of the besieged are 
hurriedly drawn from all other parts of the fortress 
to meet the onslaughts at the attacking point; when 
suddenly, to the dismay of the besieged, the cannons 


282 


THE SEVEN STRUGGLES 


belch forth their destructive missiles against the very 
strongest point of that great fortress where least ex- 
pected, and the struggle is on in full blast. 

Exactly so in the awful struggle between that dark 
destroying demon and mortal man. 

All great generals make their mistakes and fail, so 
does Satan. Satan failed when he thought to make 
himself equal with God. He failed when he tried to get 
the infant king at Bethlehem. He failed when he had 
them put the Roman seal on the great stone at the 
Saviour’s tomb. Though he has swept millions of mil- 
lions of humanity into his kingdom, he has so far 
failed to knock out from earth, that feeble race, man. 
Does he give it up? No sir, not Satan. 

Satan calls a council of war, and if secular history 
is to be believed, here is what most assuredly hap- 
pened ; Satan tells his followers that they must reverse 
their tactics; that man cannot be made to forget his 
Creator; that man will worship God’s Son Christ 
Jesus; that the record cannot be taken from man by 
force ; that they cannot be made to destroy each other ; 
that a great and powerful nation has grown up in the 
new world in spite of the savages ; that this great na- 
tion has even stamped on its dollar : In God we trust ; 
that this nation is now able to put a stop to human 
butchery ; that this nation is now able to send the rec- 
ord back to those deluded nations, and are preparing 
to do so, and the thing to do is to prevent such action. 
The campaign is arranged and the sixth struggle is 
on in full blast. 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURERS 283 

The rat begins to gnaw at the little grain of corn, 
it does not concern itself about the outer part of the 
grain, but strikes at once at the heart, it reaches for 
the kernel, the germ, the nucleus. 

Precisely so with Satan, he wants the nucleus. 
What does it matter with Satan about those heathen 
nations, if he can only keep the record from them:. 

That nucleus comes together, in order to arrange a 
campaign for foreign missions and they are hopelessly 
divided, almost at daggers' points, and divided against 
themselves the struggle goes on. 

Now, in a condensed formj as the writer is able to 
give it, and retain the essence, some of the proceed- 
ings of the nucleus will here be given : 

Brethren, I am bitterly opposed to foreign missions, 
not that I desire to keep my money, but because it is 
an insult to God. That man should presume to assist 
God in the salvation of those heathens, whom he can 
save, being omnipotent, and having the power to save 
them. It is casting a slur on our all omnipotent Crea- 
tor to admit that he cannot save whom he will, with- 
out man's assistance. I'm against it. 

Brethren, I very much favor foreign missions, be- 
cause the book tells us to go into all the world and 
preach the gospel to every creature, and it says to go 
out into the byways and hedges and seek for the lost. 
I'm for it. 

Brethren, that was spoken to the disciples, and does 
not apply to us on this side of the ocean. How can we 
leave our families and cross the great ocean and give 


284 


THE SEVEN STRUGGLES 


our lives in an effort to save those heathens, whom 
God can save without our acting the fool that way. Can 
we take God's place in his great plan of salvation? I 
oppose it. 

Brethren, we are told if we do not forsake our fath- 
ers and our mothers, our wives and children, our 
houses and lands for his sake that we are not worthy 
of Him. I sanction the move. 

Brethren, it says here plainly that all who were or- 
dained to be saved believed, and to go across the ocean 
to save heathens that are not ordained to be saved is 
foolishness, besides they are the seed of the devil and 
ought to be damned. I won’t put in a nickel. 

Brethren, man’s will is free to choose, he is a free 
moral agent, to whom] is given the power to become a 
child of God, if he will only accept the gift of eternal 
life, while it is offered, but how can he believe on God 
if he has not heard of Him, and how can he hear of 
God unless we send some one over there to tell him 
about God. I make a motion that we send some one 
over there to tell them about God. 

Brethren, I second the motion. 

I beg and plead with my readers that they pardon 
me for not giving the rest of the proceedings of the 
nucleus, for it extended over a period of a hundred 
years almost, and it would take me too long to give it 
all, and you, would have time to read it all, besides it 
has hardly died out yet, but it leads us up to 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURERS 


28 S 


The Seventh Struggle. 

Satan calls a council of war, and if Satan talks to 
his angels as God talks to His angels, here in substance 
is what took place: 

Satan speaking says : My highly esteemed, devoted 
and loyal subjects, I am lacking in words to express 
my appreciation of you, and the heroic efforts you have 
put forth in our struggle to capture the record and get 
it out of Man’s possession. For these heroic efforts I 
shall ever admire and adore you. 

But my devoted and loyal subjects, it is with the 
deepest grief and profound sorrow, that I am forced 
to announce to you that our last great offensive has 
completely failed. I cannot understand man ; what he 
is and what God put into him besides dust and wind, 
anyway. 

Satan continues: Man has now gone ahead, and 
built up a great nation over there where through all 
these centuries the red savages have roamed at will. 
And now that great nation will check these destructive 
wars we are propagating. And now man is sending 
the record to every corner of the earth. He is even 
educating that red savage, that scalped so many of 
them when they were helpless, and tomahawked their 
women, and crushed out the brains of the helpless in- 
fants. He is even sending the record to the Japs and 
Chinese, and though we have shouted “yellow peril” 
into the ears of that great nation both day and night, 
for years, yet they are sending the record to these peo- 


286 


THE SEVENTH STRUGGLE 


pie whom we have so long deluded. And he has not 
stopped here. He is sending the record to those 
black heathen nations whom we have taught to wear 
rings in their noses. 

Something must be done to stop man in his work. 
Besides, my dear devoted loyal subjects, do you see 
that lake of fire yonder that is made of brimstone? 
That record says that when the gospel is preached to 
every nation on earth, that we will be cast into that 
lake of fire, and that the smoke of our torment will 
asscend up forever and ever. 

Then it behooves us to be up and doing, to sleep not 
day or night in holding back the spread of the gospel. 

But we must change our tactics. We must go up 
against that nation that is spreading the gospel all 
over the earth and we must fight against the purity 
of the record they are propagating. We must search 
out the most magnificent minds of all those mortals, 
and have them go out over the land and cry out against 
the purity of the record. Man who can talk as never 
man talked before, will proclaim that these records 
are impure, that they are a fabric of falsehoods, from 
start to finish, and that such statements would not be 
countenanced in any court in the land, and too, they 
are obscene literature, and should be kept from the 
hands of those precious boys and girls. This plan will 
get hundreds of them. 

Then we will go among the master minds of that 
nation, we will have them write books, in which they 
will proclaim that the impossibilities of the record 


BIBLE LESSONS AND LECTURERS 287 

are so evident, and the inconsistencies are so per- 
tinent, and the incongruities of the record are so in- 
disputable, that large portions of the record should be 
expunged, and in that way we will get thousands of 
them. 

But the very greatest scheme of all, and the one on 
which we should all concentrate our forces, is to get 
into the very nucleus itself, and teach them that this 
record has been in the hands of man and has therefore 
necessarily become defective and insufficient, and that 
it is now man's duty to step in and correct these de- 
ficiencies. Then we will have the nucleus to toil and 
labor over the languages that we have long since put 
out of existence, to understand them, and to rewrite 
the record; and we must have them to actually im- 
prove on it in some instances, and then in the cen- 
turies to come, when they see that it is no longer dan- 
gerous to add to, or take from the record, we will have 
them to again rewrite the record and to suit their own 
opinions of how it should be written, so that way on 
down in those centuries to comie they will be saying to 
each other, lo, here is the record, and lo, there is the 
record, until if it be possible for us to do so, we will 
deceive the very nucleus itself. 

The plans are laid, the campaign is forurmlated, the 
dark hosts of that fell destroyer, Satan, go forth into 
the earth, like an army of locusts, and the seventh 
struggle is now on in full blast. 

He shall deliver thee in six troubles; yea, in seven 
there shall no evil touch thee. Job. 










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